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
My Family
9 Feb – 13 Feb 2026
Week 5
Belonging comes first from family - children name their people and learn every family shape is a good one.
Well-being
'Who do I go to' talk - each child names the adult who feeds them, fetches them and helps when they are sad or sick.
Identity & Belonging
Family portrait drawing; teacher scribes what the child dictates ('This is my gogo Nomsa. She cooks the best pap.').
Communication
News time: tell one thing your family did this weekend; teacher repeats it back in a longer, richer sentence.
Exploring Mathematics
Build a tower of blocks or bottle tops, one per family member; compare towers - whose is taller, shorter, the same?
Creativity
Stick-and-fabric family dolls - wrap fabric scraps around sticks to make each member of your family.
Physical & the World
'Mother hen and chicks' - one child leads their family line under ropes and over stones without losing anyone.
⏰ Morning ring
- Who lives in your house? Name them
- What does your family do together?
- Families are different - gogo families, big families, small families - all good families
- How do you help at home?
📖 Story
'The Enormous Turnip' (folk tale) - the whole family pulls together, down to the smallest mouse. Children join the pulling line one by one during the telling.
🎵 Song
Original to the tune of 'Frere Jacques': 'I love Mama, I love Mama, Baba too, Baba too...' - first line: 'I love Mama, I love Mama'.
🏃 Outdoor
Family relay - teams of 'families' carry a 'baby' (doll or ball) across the yard together on a cloth without dropping it.
💬 Words this week
mother father grandmother brother sister baby family love
umama (isiZulu - mother)
ubaba (isiZulu - father)
gogo (isiZulu/siSwati - grandmother)
manana (Xitsonga - mother)
tatana (Xitsonga - father)
kokwana (Xitsonga - grandparent)
👁 Watch and record
Who the child names as caregivers - quietly update emergency contact records where they differ from the file; note children distressed by family talk.
🎓 Grade R stretch
Family word wall: match mama/gogo/baba word cards to pictures; count family members and write the numeral.
📱 Message home to parents
Theme: My Family. Please tell your child the names of the people in your family photo or home and one small story about each - we will talk about them at ring time.
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.
