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

• This week serves as a crucial consolidation period, bringing together the foundational mathematical concepts learners have explored throughout the term. In Grade R, learning is play-based and experiential. This revision week is not about testing but about reinforcing understanding through engaging activities that show learners how mathematics is part of their everyday world. By revisiting numbers, patterns, shapes, and measurement, we solidify their confidence and readiness for more complex ideas.
• In South Africa, these concepts are woven into the fabric of daily life. Learners see patterns in the beadwork of Zulu and Ndebele cultures, they count money at the spaza shop, they share food with family (a form of division), and they notice the shapes of rondavels, soccer balls, and the windows of taxis. This week’s revision connects classroom learning directly to their lived experiences, making abstract concepts tangible and meaningful.
• By the end of this week, learners will be able to:
• Count forwards and backwards: Rote count forwards from 1 to 10 and backwards from 10 to 1.
• Recognise and represent numbers: Identify, name, and write numerals 1 to 10, and match them to corresponding quantities.

Lesson summary

This week serves as a crucial consolidation period, bringing together the foundational mathematical concepts learners have explored throughout the term. In Grade R, learning is play-based and experiential. This revision week is not about testing but about reinforcing understanding through engaging activities that show learners how mathematics is part of their everyday world. By revisiting numbers, patterns, shapes, and measurement, we solidify their confidence and readiness for more complex ideas. In South Africa, these concepts are woven into the fabric of daily life.

Lesson notes

This section revisits the core concepts of the Grade R mathematics curriculum. The key is to use concrete materials (bottle tops, beads, blocks, stones) and real-world examples. Numbers, Operations, and Relationships Counting and Cardinality What it is: Counting involves two skills: rote counting (saying numbers in order) and one-to-one correspondence (touching one object for each number word said). Cardinality is understanding that the last number counted represents the total number of objects in the set.

How it works: When we count, we are finding out 'how many'. It’s important to touch each object only once.

Example (South African Context): Let's count the wheels on this toy taxi. We touch the first wheel and say 'one'. We touch the second wheel and say 'two'. We touch the third wheel and say 'three'. We touch the fourth wheel and say 'four'. The last number we said was 'four', so there are 4 wheels.

Number Recognition What it is: This is the ability to connect the numeral (the written symbol, e.g., '5') with the number name ('five') and the quantity (•••••).

How it works: We learn to see the shape of the number and know what it means.

Example: Teacher holds up a card with the numeral '3'. "This is the number three. It looks like this. Can you show me three fingers? Can you fetch me three bottle tops?" Simple Addition (Putting Together/Joining)

What it is: Addition is about combining two or more groups to find a total.

How it works: We start with one group, add another group to it, and then count all the objects together.

Worked example

Problem: Lindiwe has 2 mangoes. Her Gogo gives her 3 more mangoes. How many mangoes does Lindiwe have altogether?

Step 1 (Represent the first group): Place 2 counters (or draw 2 circles) on the mat. "Here are Lindiwe's 2 mangoes."

Step 2 (Represent the second group): Place 3 more counters next to the first group. "Here are the 3 mangoes from Gogo."

Step 3 (Combine and count): Push all the counters together into one group.

Count all of them: "One, two, three, four, five."

Conclusion: "Lindiwe has 5 mangoes altogether. 2 and 3 make 5."

Simple Subtraction (Taking Away)

What it is: Subtraction is about starting with a group and removing some items to find out how many are left.

How it works: We count the whole group first, then take some away, and finally count what remains.

Worked

Example:

Problem: There are 5 birds sitting on a fence. 2 birds fly away. How many birds are left?

Step 1 (Represent the whole group): Place 5 bottle tops on the table. "Here are the 5 birds on the fence."

Step 2 (Take away): Physically move 2 bottle tops away from the group. "Two birds fly away."

Step 3 (Count what is left): Count the remaining bottle tops: "One, two, three."

Conclusion: "There are 3 birds left on the fence. 5 take away 2 is 3."

Patterns, Functions, and Algebra

What it is: A pattern is something that repeats in a logical way. In Grade R, we focus on simple, repeating patterns.

How it works: We identify the 'core' of the pattern (the part that repeats) and use it to predict what comes next.

Worked

Example:

Pattern: The teacher creates a pattern with coloured blocks: Blue, Yellow, Blue, Yellow, ...

Question: "What colour block should come next?"

Step 1 (Identify the core): Look at the beginning of the pattern. It goes 'Blue, Yellow'.

Step 2 (Check for repetition): After 'Blue, Yellow', it starts again with 'Blue, Yellow'. So, the repeating part is 'Blue, Yellow'.

Step 3 (Predict the next element): The last block was Yellow. In our repeating part, Blue always comes after Yellow.

Conclusion: "The next block must be Blue."

Space and Shape (Geometry)

What it is: This is the study of shapes and their properties.

2D Shapes (Flat Shapes):

Circle: Round like a R2 coin. It has no straight sides and no corners.

Square: Has 4 straight sides that are all the same length and 4 corners. Like a window pane.

Triangle: Has 3 straight sides and 3 corners. Like a samoosa or a slice of pizza.

3D Objects (Solid Objects):

Ball (Sphere): It is round all over and can roll. It has no flat faces. Like a soccer ball.

Box (Cube/Rectangular Prism): It has flat faces (sides), edges, and corners. It can be stacked. Like a box of cereal or a building block.

Guided Practice (With Solutions)

Activity 1: The Counting Game

Question: The teacher places a pile of stones on a mat. "Let's work together. Nomsa, please can you come and count 7 stones and put them in this hoop? Afterwards, can you find the number card that says '7'?"

Worked Solution:

The teacher guides the learner to touch each stone as they count aloud: "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven."

If the learner rushes or double-counts, the teacher gently reminds them to count one stone at a time.

Once 7 stones are in the hoop, the teacher spreads out number cards (e.g., 5, 6, 7, 8).

The teacher asks, "Which of these is the number 7?" The learner points to the '7' card.

Commentary: This activity reinforces one-to-one correspondence, cardinality, and numeral recognition in a hands-on way.

Activity 2: The Spaza Shop Story

Question: "You go to the spaza shop. You buy one fizz pop for R1 and one small packet of chips for R

2. Let's use our play money to work out how much you must pay. "

Worked Solution:

Teacher: "First, take the money for the fizz pop." The learner picks up a R1 coin.

Teacher: "Now, take the money for the chips." The learner picks up a R2 coin.

Teacher: "Put them together. How much money do you have now? Let's count. One rand, and two more rand makes... one, two, three rand!"

Commentary: This turns a simple addition problem (1 + 2 = 3) into a relatable story. Using play money makes the concept of combining values concrete.

Activity 3: Pattern Weaving

Question: The teacher starts a pattern on a paper plate by making holes and weaving coloured wool: Red, Green, Red, Green, ... "I am making a pattern. Look carefully. What colour wool do I need to use next to continue my pattern?"

Worked Solution:

The teacher points to each colour in sequence: "Red, Green, Red, Green."

The teacher asks, "What is the part that is repeating over and over?" The class should identify 'Red, Green'.

The teacher asks, "The last colour I used was Green. What comes after Green in our pattern?"

The learners should conclude that Red comes next.

Commentary: This integrates fine motor skills with pattern recognition and connects to the cultural practice of weaving and beadwork.

Independent Practice (Questions Only)