Grade R Teacher Training

1. Grade R Video Teacher
Training
Sections 10,11 and 12

2. Session 10
•Life Skills

3. The video covered:
1. The Life Skills learning
Programme
2. Realising Critical outcomes
3. Strategies to develop life skills
4. Fulfilling the life skills goals from
the learning areas

4. Question 1
What are life skills?

5. Answer to Question 1
The necessary skills for the learner
to participate in the their
environment – home, school and
the community emotionally,
cognitively, physically and
socially.

6. Question 2
Can you think of a simpler way
to explain life skills?

7. Answer to Question 2
They are skills a child needs to look
after themselves,
keep safe and clean,
learn to interact with others,
understand how society works,
learn about their country etc.

8. Answer to Question 2
Learn about money, shopping and
work, jobs people do etc.

9. Question 3
Do you remember any of
Departmental guidelines?

10. Answers to Question3
Learners must be able to identify and
solve problems using creative and
critical thinking.
Learners must be able to work
together effectively as a team, group
and community

11. Answers to questions 3
Learners must be able to:
organise themselves and their
activities responsibly and effectively.
Communicate effectively using visual,
symbolic and language skills

12. Answers to Question 3
Use science and technology effectively
and critically
Demonstrate an understanding of the
world around them as a group of
systems and that problem solving
does not happen in isolation.

13. Don’t worry!
It is not as difficult as it sounds! 
A lot of this learning takes places
normally in a school or home setting
as long as we are aware of the
opportunities and guide the learners.

14. Question 4
How can we use a theme based
approach to teach life skills?
Give examples from the video.

15. Answer to Question 4
Using the themes in the Grade R
curriculum about my body, family,
classroom, health and safety
(including stranger danger), learning
about South Africa, their rights as
citizens, etc

16. They also need to know about dangers
in the home and at the park and on
the way to school.
A lot of these skills are covered in the
themes or can be covered through
some of our resource material

17. Children should also be able to follow
simple instructions and when
assisted describe and explain what
has happened in an experiment or
activity e.g. with objects floating or
sinking in water

18. Integrated learning
Many Life skills are taught by
integrated learning in other words
you are already doing a numeracy
activity or a literacy activity and you
are also teaching them a life skill.

19. Question 5
Give some examples of activities
promoting Arts and Culture.

20. Answer to Question 5
Creating, presenting and interpreting
music through songs, listening to
music, singing, dance.

21. Question 6
Why was the activity with mirrors
important and what were the
children learning about?

22. Answer to Question 7
They were earning about facial
expressions and also learning that
you cannot always tell if someone is
good or bad by just their
expressions.

23. Question 8
Please describe how you can
include geography in the
classroom?

24. Answer to Question 8
By using the theme on South Africa.
Using maps or a globe so children have
an idea of their position in the world.

25. Question 9
In what ways can numbers in the
real world help with social skills?

26. Answer to Question 9
Learning their house number ,
learning the number for the police,
learning their mother’s cell phone
number,
Learning the price of shopping items
and the value of money.

27. Question 10
• Do you remember the tips for
parents?

28. Answers to Question 10
Ask parents to teach their children about
money and shopping when they go to
the shops and to talk about safety issues.
Ask the parents and grandparents to tell
them stories about their lives when they
were young – this will give the children a
sense of history and culture.

29. More parent tips
Encourage the parents to have the
children do simple tasks like folding
laundry, washing up, setting the
table, finding items in the shops,
writing the shopping lists, tying their
own shoes, organising their clothes
etc.

30. You have learned :
1. About The Life Skills learning
Programme
2. How to Realise the Grade R Critical
outcomes
3. Strategies to develop life skills
4. How to fulfill the life skills goals
from simple activities and integrated
learning

31. Session11.
Creative
Development

32. The video covered
1. The importance of creative
development.
2. Arts, Culture and Numeracy
3. Arts, Culture and Life Skills
4. Baking
5. Encouraging creativity at
Home.

33. Question 1
Creative development is as important
as literacy, numeracy or life skills.
True or False?

34. Answer to Question1
True.

35. Question 2
Please give examples of creative
outlets for children.
e.g. dancing

36. Answers to Question 2
Singing, dancing, movement, painting
drawing, art, play and imaginative
play.

37. Question 3
What sort of things should you have in
a creative work station?

38. Answewr to Question 3
Paint glue
Play dough,
Crayons,
Chalk
Paper,
scissors

39. Question 4
What sort of things should you put
in a Fantasy area?

40. Answers to Question 4
Dress up clothes, hats, shoes
Pretend cooker, pots and pans
Plastic house or Tent made of sheets
and chairs

41. Question 5
What are the benefits of music and
dance?

42. Answer to Question 5
Promotes the use of gross motor skills,
coordination, health benefits both
physically and emotionally and it is
lots of fun for the children besides
giving a change of pace from other
sedentary (sitting)activities..

43. Question 6
What are the benefits of drama?

44. Answer to Question 6
Encourages the use of imagination,
builds social skills,
develops language skills
and numeracy skills.

45. Please Note
Don’t focus on perfection but
rather the process of learning as
it is important they always feel
successful and free to
experiment.

46. Question 7
How can Arts and Culture be
integrated (included ) with
Numeracy?

47. Answers to Question 7
A lot of arts using shapes and patterns
which are also part of numeracy.
Shape, direction and quantity all
relate to numeracy
Music and rhythm also connect with
numeracy e.g. Clapping to
the rhythm.

48. Question 8
How do Arts and Culture relate to
literacy?

49. Answers to Question 8
Drama: speech, characterization, oral
skills
Sequencing stories
And then you can include art when
you draw about the story or drama.

50. Question 9
What are the benefits of free play?

51. Answers to Question 9
Social skills, negotiation
Children can relax and either be
themselves or someone entirely
different.
Good for mental health.
Learn about different social roles;
Being a mother, father,
Fire man etc.

52. Question 10
How can music and dance help
with literacy skills?

53. Answer to Question 10
Music – listening, voice, aural (ears)
perception
Dance – sequencing.
Encourages Vocabulary when following
instructions or learning the words to
songs.

54. Question 11
How can we integrate life skills into
art and culture?

55. Answer to Question 11
As was mentioned with Arts and
culture and literacy
Drama and music :Role play, social
skills,

56. Answers to Question 11
Exploring religion and culture the
Children learn about history and
community.
The themes bring out these topics and
activities

57. Question 12
What skills can children learn
from Baking?

58. Answers to Question 12
Literacy, numeracy, arts, culture and
life skills.

59. Answers to Question 12
Examples:
They can learn about healthy eating and
“Gerry the Germ”.
Chemical and physical changes from
uncooked to cooked, soft to hard, wet to
dry, cooking together require social
skills

60. Question 13
Baking in your situation is difficult so
what solutions can you think of?

61. Answers to Question 13
Encourage the parents to bake with
their children and explain the skills
they will be teaching their children.
OR

62. Answers to Question 13
At creche decorate Marie biscuits or
something else which does not require
cooking.
Teach hygiene (washing hands), numeracy,
(counting Smarties), sorting colours ,
hand eye coordination. Tell a story
while you do it

63. Please Note
Integrated Teaching where you
combine activities and realise
the full potential of each
activity leads to the best
education!

64. Please note
Also by using a wide variety of learning
experiences you will be helping the
children with different types of
multiple intelligence and you will be
catering for the different ways
children learn.

65. You have learned:
1. The importance of creative development.
2. How to integrate Arts, Culture with
Numeracy
3. How to integrate Arts, Culture and Life Skills
4. What you can teach from Baking
5. How to encourage creativity at
home.

66. Session 12
The Daily Planner
and the school day

67. The video covered:
• The Daily Planner
• How to organise an ideal school day
• How to use the 2 week planners, daily planners and
literacy and numeracy assessments
• Tips on helping children to feel secure
and successful
Importance of being an active facilitator
Importance of guided learning
The importance of giving feedback to
parents

68. Question 1
How does a good schedule help to
make a child feel secure?

69. Answer to Question 1
A varied flexible but structured schedule
helps learners feel secure as the day is
predictable. The have a general idea of what
will happen during the day.
Meals should always be on time for the same
reason.
Some of the children may suffer from
food insecurity.

70. Question 2
Is it a good idea to have the
children help plan the day and if
so why?

71. Answer to Question 2
Learners can help plan the day by choosing
some of the activities and also by having cards
with the different activities which they can put
up on the wall in sequence.
This will help to make them feel their opinions
are important, feel included and they are also
learning to be independent and helps them to
cooperate.

72. Question 3
Can you describe what should happen
at Arrival Time and Health Check?

73. Answer to Question 3
Greet each one
Get the children to hang up their bags and coats
and take responsibility for their things.
Allow them to read , do puzzles etc while
everyone arrives.
All children sit in the circle.
Give them opportunity to speak and
and say how they feel.

74. Answers to Question 3
Record any signs of abuse or ill health.
Do the weather poster (P4 of Handbook)
Sing songs of welcome
Attendance Register

75. Question 4
How can you use the attendance
register to include numeracy?

76. Answer to Question 4
Count how many are present
Count how many are away (absent)
Write it on the blackboard.

77. Calendars
Calendars are also great to teach about
time, mark birthdays and learn about
yesterday, today, tomorrow, next week
etc, how many days to the end of the
week etc.

78. Question 5
Why did one of the teachers on the video
say that the first hour is the “Golden
Hour”?

79. Answer to Question 5
Because the children learn most in the first
hour when they are fresh and not tired.

80. Question 6
Next we introduce the theme we are working
on.
Can you talk us through what we activities we
could include in this part of the day?

81. Answers to Question 6
Introduce the theme
Use reading strips Today we are learning
about….
Use the poster which goes with it.
Use the theme table with labels on items
Tell the story
Ask open and closed questions.

82. Question 7
What does it mean by “Be an active
facilitator”
when the children are doing their
activities at the work stations or at
their tables?

83. Answer to Question 7
Be involved: explain, observe, ask open ended
questions, support learners.
Guided learning is one of the most successful
ways of teaching. The children are being
guided as they experiment and discover new
things.
Another way of saying this is “Teacher
Directed” activities

84. Answers Question 7
Also be aware of the more disruptive (naughty)
ones and distribute them around the different
groups and also be aware of those who need
more support.

85. Question 8
What was said in the video about
snack/meal time?

86. Answers to Question 6
There should be a relaxed and quiet
environment.
Pray before meal
Sit at tables.
The children should practice good manners-
Please, thank you.
Use plastic utensils (spoons etc) rather
than hands.

87. Now let’s look at examples
An overview for 2 week period
A plan for a day
A literacy assessment
A numeracy assessment

92. Discussion
Do you think you could use this basic
outline to use with other classes?

93. Question 7
What sort of feedback should you be giving
parents on a regular basis?

94. Answer to Question 7
Discuss with parents any concerns you have
about the child physically (health),
emotionally.
Do this sensitively and carefully without the
parent feeling attacked. Parents are generally
very sensitive about their own children
Give Feedback on progress.
Regular feedback should help the parents
feel and be more involved!

95. Remember!
It is important to make activities as
much fun as possible and to make
each child feel successful!

96. You have learned
• About The Daily Planner
• How to organise an ideal school Day
• How to use the 2 week planners, daily
planners and literacy and numeracy
assessments
• Tips on helping children to feel secure
and successful

97. You have learned(cont)
Importance of being an active facilitator
Importance of guided learning
The importance of giving feedback to
parents

98. Thank you
Congratulations you
have completed the
course.

99. For those of you who started half
way through
We will organise sessions for the
modules you missed.

100. Written Questions for Feedback
• You do not need to write down the questions
on paper just the answers. Make sure your
write the numbers next to your answers
• 1. Please write your name clearly as you
would like it written on your certificate.
• 2. Name of Creche
• 3. No of children in creche

101. Grade R Curriculum
• 4.Have you completed all modules? Please
write down 1-3, 4-6, 7-9,10-12 and tick the ones
you have completed.
• 5. In what ways has the course helped you?
• 6. Have you already implemented any of the
ideas? If so what?
• 7. Do you think the course will positively affect
your children not just Grade R but also the
younger children?

102. Technical Questions.
• 8. Do you have pdf on your phone so you can
read the planners when we send them?
• 9. Do you have a flat screen for the creche? Is
it smart?
• 10. Do you have an android phone which
could be used with a flat screen?
• 11. Can you put an SD card into it?
• 12. Are you already using the digital resources
on screen or some other way?

103. Feedback to help us learn more
about how to help you.
• 12. Are you using the daily planners?
• 13. Are you using the Early Bird Readers?
• 14. Are some of the children beginning to read
with them, if so how many?
• 15. What are the biggest obstacles to
implementing the Grade R curriculum?
• 16. What are the biggest obstacles to using
the digital resources on screen?

104. Suggestions and Comments
• 17. Any suggestions or comments you would
like to make.
• Please note: If you want to book an
enrichment morning for your creche at our
centre please book with Agnes.
Thank you!