Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v5 - Grade R

Lesson Video

This page supports the lesson note with a companion video and a short classroom-ready summary.

For class groups and homework, share this lesson page so learners also get the summary, objectives, and full lesson context.

Performance objectives

• By the end of this week's lessons, learners should be able to:
• Count reliably: Count concrete objects (like bottle tops, stones, or pictures) from 1 to 5, demonstrating stable order (saying numbers in the right sequence) and one-to-one correspondence (touching one object for each number word).
• Recognise and Identify: Recognise and identify the number symbols (numerals) 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.
• Represent Numbers: Draw a set of objects to represent a given number from 1 to 5 (e.g., when shown the numeral '4', they can draw 4 balls).
• Understand Zero: Explain that '0' (zero) means 'nothing' or 'none' in a given set.

Lesson summary

This week, we continue our exciting journey into the world of numbers, focusing on the foundational set from 0 to

5. This topic is essential for Grade R learners as it forms the bedrock of all future mathematical understanding (numeracy). In South Africa, numbers are a part of our daily lives from the moment we wake up. We count the rand coins for the taxi fare, we see numbers on our cellphones, we share food with our family members, and we play games like amagende (hopscotch) that use numbers.

Lesson notes

This section breaks down the core mathematical ideas for this week. It's vital to use concrete, hands-on materials for all these concepts.

Concept 1: One-to-one Correspondence in Counting What it is: This is the most critical counting skill. It's not just reciting number words (rote counting), but matching each number word to exactly one object as we count. It's the difference between saying "one, two, three, four" while randomly pointing at a group of apples, and touching each apple once as you say the number word.

Why it's important: It teaches that numbers represent a specific quantity. Without this skill, counting has no meaning.

Worked example

Teacher: "Let's count these stones from our playground. Watch me carefully."

The teacher places 4 stones in a line.*

Teacher: "I will touch each stone as I say its number. One..." (touches the first stone). "Two..." (touches the second stone). "Three..." (touches the third stone). "Four..." (touches the fourth stone).

Teacher: "The last number I said was 'four'. That means there are four stones. This is the total number. This is called the cardinal number."

Concept 2: The Meaning of Zero (0)

What it is: Zero is a number that represents the absence of quantity. It means 'nothing', 'none', or 'empty'. This is often a tricky concept for young children.

Why it's important: Understanding zero is crucial for place value and all future arithmetic (e.g., 10 - 10 = 0).

Worked

Example:

Teacher: "Zola has a packet with 3 delicious NikNaks. Let's put them on this plate." (Place 3 counters on a plate).

Teacher: "Let's count them. One, two, three. Zola eats one." (Remove one counter). "How many are left? Let's count. One, two."

Teacher: "Zola eats another one." (Remove another counter). "How many are left now? Let's count. One."

Teacher: "Zola eats the last one." (Remove the last counter). "How many NikNaks are on the plate now?"

Learners: "None!" / "They are all gone!"

Teacher: "That's right! There are none. In maths, we have a special number for 'none'. It's called zero.

This is how we write it:

0. So, there are 0 NikNaks on the plate."

Concept 3: Comparing Quantities (More, Less, Same As)

What it is: Comparing involves looking at two or more groups of objects and determining their relationship based on quantity.

Why it's important: This is the foundation for understanding inequalities (> , <) and ordering numbers. It is a fundamental problem-solving skill used in sharing and making fair choices.

Worked

Example:

Teacher: Places two paper plates on the mat. On Plate A, place 5 bottle tops. On Plate B, place 3 bottle tops.*

Teacher: "Here is Sipho's plate (A) and here is Thandi's plate (B). Let's count the bottle tops on Sipho's plate."

Guide learners to count Plate A: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.*

Teacher: "Sipho has 5 bottle tops. Now let's count Thandi's plate."

Guide learners to count Plate B: 1, 2, 3.*

Teacher: "Thandi has 3 bottle tops. Who has more bottle tops? Sipho has 5 and Thandi has

3. Which number is bigger?"

Learners: "Sipho!"

Teacher: "Correct! We say Sipho has more than Thandi. Who has less? Thandi has less than Sipho."

You can visually show this by pairing up the bottle tops from each plate. The plate with leftovers has 'more'.*

Guided Practice (With Solutions)

Question 1: Count and Match

Instructions: The teacher draws the following on the board and gives learners a worksheet with the same. "Draw a line from the group of fruit to the correct number."

Group 1: 🍌🍌🍌 (3 bananas)

Group 2: 🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎 (5 apples)

Group 3: 🍊🍊 (2 oranges)

Numbers on the other side: 5, 2, 3

Solution and

Commentary:

Step 1: The teacher guides the learners to look at the first group, the bananas. "Let's count the bananas together, touching each one. One, two, three."

Step 2: "What was the last number we said? Three. So there are three bananas. Now look at the numbers on the side. Can you find the number symbol for 'three'? Point to it."

Step 3: The teacher confirms the correct numeral (3) and demonstrates drawing a straight line from the bananas to the number

3. Step 4: Repeat this process for the 5 apples and the 2 oranges.

Commentary: This activity reinforces one-to-one correspondence, cardinality (the last number is the total), and numeral recognition all in one task.

Question 2: Who Has More?

Instructions: "I am going to tell you a story. Listen carefully. Gogo gives Mandla 4 sweets. Gogo gives Lerato 2 sweets. Draw the sweets for Mandla in his circle and the sweets for Lerato in her circle. Then, circle the child who has MORE sweets."