Lesson Ideas for the Theme: Forests

Lesson Ideas for the Theme: Forests

This lesson is suitable for 4-6 year olds.

Introduce the subject of forests to the learners: what is a forest? It is a place where there are a lot of trees. Who/what lives in a forest etc. Show pictures of forests.

Topics to discuss:

• Animals of the forest.
• What is a tree?
• Why are forests important?

Craft ideas when talking about forests:

• Paste ferns on a paper. You can group them. This helps with developing data handling skills.
• Draw pictures of forest animals.
• Plant your own forest in a tin. Give kids the opportunity to plant ferns etc.
• Colour in a picture of a parrot.

Some links that could be useful:
http://www.everythingpreschool.com/themes/forest/index.htm
http://www.brighthubeducation.com/preschool-lesson-plans/44135-forest-animals-theme/

A silly song for pre-schoolers

Good morning,

I'm always looking for songs to teach to pre-schoolers. I just came accross this great page Bussongs.com and would like to share this song with you:

Shake Your Sillies Out

U got to shake, shake, shake your sillies out, shake, shake, shake your sillies out, shake, shake, shake your sillies out and wiggle your waggles away
U got to clap, clap, clap your crazys out, clap, clap, clap, your crazys, clap, clap, clap your crazys out and wiggle your waggles away
U got to jump,jump, jump, your jiggles out, jump, jump ,jump, your jiggles out, jump, jump, jump, your jiggles out and wiggle your waggles away
U got to yawn, yawn ,yawn, your sleepys out, yawn, yawn, yawn, your sleepys out, yawn, yawn, yawn, your sleepys out and wiggle your waggles away

http://bussongs.com/songs/shake-your-sillies-out.php
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yycdxzGJ8rk

What songs do you enjoy singing with your kids?

Talk to you later

AC

6 holiday craft ideas

6 holiday craft ideas:

·         My holiday: Paint a picture about your holiday. What did you experience/see and where did you go.

·         Identity Document/ Who am I. Make your own identity document/ passport with a picture and fingerprints.

·         Use handprints to make a butterfly.

·         Invite friends over and play games outside such as hop scotch, pin the tail on the donkey, three legged race and egg race.

·         As it is autumn take leaves and make a picture.

·         For colder days use tinned food and other groceries and open a ‘store’ in the kid’s bedroom. Allowing them to ‘sell’and ‘price’the groceries helps with cognitive development.

English Grade 4 notes

English Additional language Grade 4

Nouns

A noun is the name of a thing or place or person.

Underline the nouns in the following sentences:

1. Sarah goes to town ever y day.

2. I enjoy walking to school.

3. I sit at the table.

4. We eat our food.

5. Peter and John like to go to the movies.

Verbs

A verb is a doing word. It explains what somebody is doing.

Underline the verb in the following sentences:

1. Sarah goes to town ever y day.

2. I enjoy walking to school.

3. I sit at the table.

4. We eat our food.

5. Peter and John likes to go to the movies.

Punctuation

Add the correct punctuation to the following sentences:

1. I go to school

2. He likes to read

3. We ate bananas oranges and grapes

4. Sarah and I like to drink orange juice

5. Do you live here

Contractions

Write the contractions of the following

I am- I’m

You are-_____________

They are-______________

We are-___________

Adjectives

An adjective describes the noun.

Underline the adjectives.

1. It is a beautiful day.

2. We liked the red berries.

3. I am wearing a blue dress.

4. We are eating red tomatoes.

5. John likes his new yellow car.

Prepositions

Complete by using the correct prepositions:

1. I am sitting __________________ the table.

2. The cat is __________ the bed.

3. He jumped ______________- the fence.

4. Peter is running ______________- the grass.

5. She jumps _____________ the pool.

Physical education worksheet appropriate for Grade 4-7 in Life orientation

Physical education worksheet appropriate for Grade 4-7 in Life orientation

Name:________________________________

Total:_______/10

1.       Write down the definition of target games. ___________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________(2)

2.       Make up your own target game.

a.       Where will you play the game? ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________(1)

b.      How many people will play the game? ______________________________________(1)

c.       How will people score points? _______________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________(2)

d.      What will be the target? ____________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________(1)

e.      Write down 3 rules of the game. _____________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________(3)

Getting your child ready for grade 1

Some ideas to help you get your child ready for school:

Getting your child ready for school starts very early. You can help your child by paying special attention to certain areas.

General Knowledge: Teach your child his or her home address, telephone number and full name and birth date. When your child asks questions about the world, try to answer them as well as you can, or take your child to the library to look up the answer.

Self-help: Your child should know how to dress and undress, and how to use zips, buttons, press-studs, velcro and so on. They should also have made a start on learning to tie their own shoelaces. Children in Grade One also need to know how to blow their own noses, and to go to the toilet independently.

Label their Belongings: All your child's clothes, stationery and so on should be marked clearly. Show your child where the label is and teach them to recognise it - this will make it easier for them to find and put away their things at school. Teach your child to be responsible about their belongings and you will be saving money on replacements as well as teaching them an important life skill.

Feed Your Child Well: Children perform better at school if they have a healthy breakfast and a healthy packed lunch. A wholewheat sandwich and a piece of fruit are enough for a school snack if the child is coming home at lunchtime. If they will be in aftercare or somewhere that doesn't provide lunch after school, add an extra sandwich and some nuts, raisins, carrot sticks or other vegetables. It seems much easier to pop in a packet of chips and a cooldrink, but a quick sandwich and filling a juice bottle with water or fruit juice is cheaper and much better for your child.

http://southafrica.thebeehive.org/content/28/1534

Language Development:

• She should know some nursery rhymes
• Can use expressive and receptive language
• Can follow instructions
• Able to produce the different sounds of a language, in other words have command of a language
• Can put sentences together to make herself understood
• Able to take turns in a conversation.

Pre-reading Skills:

• Can name basic colours
• Know the letters of the alphabet
• Know the names and sounds of letters
• Be able to recognize their written name
• Have print awareness (She knows how to hold a book and that we read from left to right)
• Have an interest in books and reading.

Cognitive Skills:

• Understand the concept of size – bigger and smaller
• Know opposites
• Can build jigsaw puzzles
• Can master sequencing cards
• Can pay attention and plan the execution of an activity
• Know different shapes
• Can copy patterns
• Know position in space – above, below, in front, behind, etc.
• Can persist in challenging task
• Able to categorize objects
• Have a degree of intellectual curiosity.

Numeracy:

• Can count up to at least 10
• Understand the concepts of counting, sorting and grouping
• Know the different times of day – morning, afternoon and night

Social Skills:

• Knows how to ask for something
• Can share
• Can take turns
• Able to listen quietly
• Can relate appropriately to adults and peers.

Physical Skills:

• Can use the bathroom on her own
• Can blow her nose
• Can wash her hands
• Able to catch and throw a ball
• Can balance on 1 foot for a certain time
• Able to walk up and down stairs
• Able to use scissors, pencils and crayons
• Able to stack blocks
• Can hop
• Can use a knife and fork to eat
• Able to cross her midline.

Emotional Skills:

• Can ask for help
• Realize that she cannot always get her own way
• Able to manage anger and frustration
• Can work independently
• Can cope with criticism and failure
• Able to separate from a caregiver
• Able to effectively express her feelings and needs
• Hold her own in a group activity
• Able to postpone the need for immediate gratification.

This checklist should give you an indication if your child is school ready.

A child’s first year in school is extremely important, because it is the first building block for the following 11 years. I believe that it is important that it should be a positive experience, where the child is adequately equipped to manage in the classroom, with many success experiences. When they are able to do something, it becomes enjoyable to do it.

Good luck for Grade 1!

http://parentingcenter.co.za/a-school-readiness-checklist/

Separation anxiety

Hallo to everyone,

Hope you are enjoying your day so far.  Just a short note about separation anxiety. As a teacher I’ve experienced separation anxiety quite often. It is very heartbreaking for the parent and child. I’ve done some research to find out how it develops. It is normal for a child to experience separation anxiety because they have not developed “object permanence” yet. That means they do not realize that someone exists even if you do not see them. Object permanence is thought only to develop at two years of age. Another reason for separation anxiety is because a child only develops a sense of time at the age of 6 or 7. In other words any time away from the primary caregiver can feel like a very long time for the child. Something that can help is if the teacher distracts the child immediately after the parent said good bye and ask for help with a certain task.  Luckily the child will settle down 2-3 minutes after the parent have left and are playing happily by the time mom or dad phones from the car and asks how the child is doing.

Have a great afternoon,

AC