Teaching Resources
The Year Programme
43 themed weeks across the four school terms. Today falls in Week 25 — Small Creatures - Insects and Bugs. Every week gives you the ring time, the words, one activity per learning area, a story, a song, an outdoor game, what to watch for, and a message to send parents.
SELECTED WEEK
Road Safety
18 May – 22 May 2026
Week 18
The highest-value practical skill for children who walk to school on busy rural roads - drilled until automatic.
Well-being
Drill the crossing rule daily until automatic: stop at the edge, look right-left-right, listen, walk straight across - never run.
Identity & Belonging
Where do YOU cross? Each child tells their own walking route and danger spot; the teacher maps the class's crossing points.
Communication
Robot call-and-response: teacher flashes a red/amber/green card, children shout the action - loud, together, fast.
Exploring Mathematics
Red-amber-green sequencing: thread bottle tops in the correct robot order; sort and count each colour set.
Creativity
Paper-plate robots with red, amber and green circles; zebra-crossing art in bold black and white strips.
Physical & the World
Real practice at the chalk zebra crossing in the yard - a 'car' (teacher with a hoop) approaches and stops; cross correctly, every child, every day.
⏰ Morning ring
- Where do we walk? Far edge of the road, facing the cars
- The crossing steps: stop, look right-left-right, listen, walk straight - never run
- Robot colours: red stop, green go, amber wait
- Bright clothes help drivers see us in the early morning
📖 Story
Original: 'Khombo the Goat Crosses the Road' - a goat who never looks nearly meets a taxi; the children teach him stop-look-listen. They shout the steps at every crossing in the story.
🎵 Song
Original chant: 'Stop! Look! Listen!' - first line: 'Stop, look, listen, before you cross the road'.
🏃 Outdoor
'Red light, green light' (traditional game): run on green, freeze on red, walk on the spot for amber.
💬 Words this week
road stop look listen cross robot left right
yima (isiZulu - stop)
bheka (isiZulu - look)
lalela (isiZulu - listen)
gondzo (Xitsonga - road)
👁 Watch and record
Can each child recite AND demonstrate the crossing sequence? Do Grade Rs know left from right? Flag impulsive runners for a walking-home talk with parents.
🎓 Grade R stretch
Left/right body games (raise your right hand, hop on your left foot); draw a safe-route map with the crossing marked X.
📱 Message home to parents
Theme: Road Safety. Every time you cross a road this week, do it out loud together: 'Stop. Look right, left, right again. Listen. Walk.' Children copy what you do more than what you say.
The whole year
14 January - 27 March 2026 (11 weeks, 53 school days; unified national calendar - no separate inland/coastal clusters in 2026)
Myself and My World: settling in, separation security, my body, senses, family and home. Colours red/blue/yellow/green, shapes circle/square/triangle, numbers 1-5.
8 April - 26 June 2026 (12 weeks, 54 school days; public holidays: Freedom Day Mon 27 Apr, Workers' Day Fri 1 May, special holiday Mon 15 Jun, Youth Day Tue 16 Jun)
My Community and the Working World: the people, places, helpers and transport around us, farm life, and winter. Numbers to 10, shape consolidation, positional language.
21 July - 23 September 2026 (10 weeks, 46 school days; National Women's Day observed Mon 10 Aug; Heritage Day 24 Sep falls in the holiday)
The Natural World and Our Heritage: wild animals, small creatures, water, plants, spring, birds, and Heritage Month. Numbers to 10 and beyond, patterns, measurement.
6 October - 9 December 2026 (10 weeks, 47 school days; learners close 9 Dec, educators 11 Dec)
The Wider World, Big Dreams and Celebration: life cycles, storms, sky, sea, money, aspirations, summer safety and the year-end concert. School readiness consolidation for Grade R.
