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.

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Performance objectives

• This week is dedicated to revising and consolidating the foundational mathematical concepts covered in the first three weeks of the term. In Grade R, repetition and practice are key to building a strong number sense and mathematical understanding. This lesson package revisits counting, number recognition, 2D shapes, and patterns. By strengthening these core skills, learners build the confidence and competence needed for more complex mathematical concepts in Grade 1.
• In the South African context, these skills are used daily. Learners count money at the spaza shop, see patterns in traditional beadwork or on shweshwe fabric, identify shapes in road signs and the houses in their community, and share items with friends, learning about 'more' and 'less'. This revision week connects classroom learning directly to the world they experience, making mathematics relevant and meaningful.
• By the end of this week, learners will be able to:
• Count reliably: Rote count to 10 and count out up to 10 concrete objects using one-to-one correspondence.
• Recognise numbers and quantities: Identify the numerals 1 to 5 and match them to the correct number of objects.

Lesson summary

This week is dedicated to revising and consolidating the foundational mathematical concepts covered in the first three weeks of the term. In Grade R, repetition and practice are key to building a strong number sense and mathematical understanding. This lesson package revisits counting, number recognition, 2D shapes, and patterns. By strengthening these core skills, learners build the confidence and competence needed for more complex mathematical concepts in Grade

1. In the South African context, these skills are used daily.

Lesson notes

This section breaks down the core concepts we are revising this week. It is essential to use concrete objects (e.g., bottle caps, blocks, stones) for all activities.

A. Number Sense: Counting and Recognising Numbers (1-10)

What it is: Number sense is the understanding of what numbers mean, how they relate to each other, and how they are used in real life. It’s more than just saying numbers in order.

Key Ideas: Rote Counting: Saying the number names in the correct order from memory ("One, two, three, four, five..."). This is the first step.

One-to-one Correspondence: This is the most critical counting skill. It means touching one, and only one, object for every number word you say. Many children will count faster than they touch, so we must practice this slowly.

Cardinality: Understanding that the last number you say when counting a group of objects is the total number of objects in that group. If a child recounts a group when asked 'how many?', they have not yet grasped cardinality.

Number Recognition: The ability to connect a numeral (the written symbol, e.g., '4') with its name ('four') and the quantity it represents (four objects).

Worked example

Teacher: "Let's count the mielies (corn cobs) in this picture."

(Teacher points to a picture with 5 mielies).

Teacher: "We must touch each mielie as we say a number. Follow me."

(Touches the first mielie) "One."

(Touches the second mielie) "Two."

(Touches the third mielie) "Three."

(Touches the fourth mielie) "Four."

(Touches the fifth mielie) "Five."

Teacher: "The last number we said was five. So, how many mielies are there?"

Learners: "Five!"

Teacher: "Excellent! This is the number 5." (Shows the numeral '5').

B.

Space and Shape: Identifying 2D Shapes

What it is: This involves recognising and naming common flat shapes and understanding their basic properties.

Key Shapes:

Circle: A circle is perfectly round. It has no straight sides and no corners. Think of the sun, a R5 coin, or the wheel of a taxi.

Square: A square has four straight sides that are all exactly the same length. It also has four corners. Think of a window pane or a slice of sandwich bread.

Triangle: A triangle has three straight sides and three corners. Think of a slice of pizza or the roof of a simple drawing of a house.

Worked

Example:

Teacher: (Holds up a square-shaped block) "Look at this shape. Let's feel its sides. It has one, two, three, four straight sides. Are the sides the same? Yes! It has four corners. What do we call this shape?"

Learners: "A square!"

Teacher: "Correct! Now, can you find anything in our classroom that looks like a square?"

(A learner might point to a book or a tile on the floor).

C. Patterns