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
Healthy Habits
2 Mar – 6 Mar 2026
Week 8
Handwashing, tooth brushing and sleep routines prevent illness and build self-care independence.
Well-being
Handwashing drill with a counting song - scrub while counting to 20; use a drop of oil and soil on hands to show how soap lifts 'germs'.
Identity & Belonging
'I can care for myself' badges - children demonstrate nose-wiping, hand-washing and the toilet routine to earn a paper badge.
Communication
Sequence talk: put hand-washing step pictures in order and tell the sequence using 'first, then, next, last'.
Exploring Mathematics
Count 20 scrub-seconds on fingers twice through; sort 'clean/dirty' picture cards into two hoops and count each set.
Creativity
Bubble prints - paint with clean soap foam tinted with a little colour; blow bubbles onto paper through a straw.
Physical & the World
'Germ tag' - one child is the germ; tagged children freeze until a 'soap' friend frees them with a pretend scrub.
⏰ Morning ring
- The five hand-washing times: before eating, after toilet, after playing, after animals, when hands look dirty
- Germs are too small to see - the pepper-in-water demonstration
- Brushing teeth morning and night
- Sleep makes us grow - what time do you sleep?
📖 Story
Original: 'Gogo's Soap' - a boy who skips washing gets a sore tummy; Gogo teaches him the five washing times. Tell it holding a real bar of soap as the prop.
🎵 Song
Original to the tune of 'Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush': 'This is the way we wash our hands...' - first line: 'This is the way we wash our hands'.
🏃 Outdoor
Toothbrush relay - run to the giant cardboard mouth (egg-box teeth), 'brush' the teeth clean, run back and pass the brush.
💬 Words this week
wash soap clean teeth brush germs sleep healthy
geza (isiZulu - wash)
amanzi (isiZulu - water)
emanti (siSwati - water)
insipho (isiZulu - soap)
👁 Watch and record
Independent toileting and handwashing without reminders; children with untreated sores, dental pain or persistent uncleanness - record for welfare and clinic referral.
🎓 Grade R stretch
Make a numbered morning-routine chart (1 wake, 2 wash, 3 brush, 4 dress, 5 eat, 6 school) and 'read' it left to right.
📱 Message home to parents
Theme: Healthy Habits. Practise washing hands before eating and after the toilet - let your child count to 20 out loud while scrubbing.
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.
