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
Clothes We Wear
9 Mar – 13 Mar 2026
Week 9
Dressing independence, colour naming and fine-motor work with buttons and pegs, linked to weather.
Well-being
Dressing-skills station: practise buttons, zips and buckles on real old shirts and shoes; celebrate every 'I dressed myself!'
Identity & Belonging
Draw yourself in your favourite outfit; talk about special traditional clothes worn for ceremonies at home.
Communication
Colour I-spy with clothing: 'I spy someone wearing something red...' - children guess who and say the item in a full sentence.
Exploring Mathematics
Sock matching from a jumbled pile - find pairs, count the pairs, then peg them on a line in a red-blue-red-blue pattern.
Creativity
Design a paper T-shirt with painted patterns; make fabric-scrap collage clothes on a body outline.
Physical & the World
Dressing-up race: put on a big adult shirt, hat and shoes, run to the line, undress, and pass to the next player.
⏰ Morning ring
- What are you wearing today? Name the item and its colour
- Clothes for hot days, cold days and rain
- School clothes and home clothes - caring for both
- Folding and hanging - clothes last longer when we care for them
📖 Story
'The Emperor's New Clothes' (folk tale, simplified) - children advise the emperor honestly; talk about telling the truth kindly.
🎵 Song
Original action chant: 'Red shirt, red shirt, jump up high!' - call an item and colour; everyone wearing it does the action. First line: 'Red shirt, red shirt, jump up high!'
🏃 Outdoor
Washing-line relay - peg cloth squares onto a low line one colour at a time as the teacher calls the colours.
💬 Words this week
shirt shoes socks hat dress button red blue
izicathulo (isiZulu - shoes)
isigqoko (isiZulu - hat)
tintangu (Xitsonga - shoes)
bovu (isiZulu - red: -bomvu)
👁 Watch and record
Colour recognition (red, blue, yellow, green) child by child; pincer grip and control with buttons and pegs.
🎓 Grade R stretch
Pattern making with clothing cards (shirt-shirt-shoe, shirt-shirt-shoe) - copy the pattern, extend it, then invent your own.
📱 Message home to parents
Theme: Clothes. Let your child dress themselves this week even if it is slow - practise buttons and shoe straps, and name the colour of each item.
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.
