Grade R
Grade R (0) is a PRE-primary year which gets our children ready for the 3R's (Reading, wRiting and aRithmetic) of primary school by developing their pre-reading, pre-writing and pre-numeracy skills.For example, before children can learn to read they need to understand how a book works, understand the relationship between words and pictures in a book, and realise that words on a page have meaning and are made up of sounds.
Before children can learn how to write they need to know how to hold a pen or pencil, understand that text works from left to right and from top to bottom, and realise that drawings and writing convey a message.Before children can learn numeracy skills, they need to understand that numbers represent quantities, that objects can be sorted and grouped, and that things can be shared.
Each child completes 2 workbooks - the ACE Grade R (0) learning programme, which is a complete learning programme based on the Revised National Curriculum Statements which integrates the three learning programmes of the foundation phase, Literacy, Numeracy and Life skills.
All these skills are taught through play, which is the real work of children in Grade R; skills such as: -
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Playing with building blocks and doing jigsaw puzzles,
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Number understanding and recognition and ordering,
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Drawing and playing with modelling clay,
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Drawing of the story read,
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Alphabet and writing patterns,
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Fantasy play and story-telling,
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Introduction to phonic sounds of the alphabet,
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Rhyming words.
We have a well-structured daily programme with blocks of time for each activity. These activities include routines for everything from eating and toilet times and outside play to different types of classroom activities. Each routine is an opportunity for learning important life-skills.
When children know the order of events in a school day, they are always prepared for what comes next. Grade R (0) helps the children to adjust to classroom routines and to understand what is expected of them at different points in the school day.
At the end of ear year, our Grade R (0) children are presented with a Graduation Certificate and Photos as well as a Graduation Ceremony.