CURRICULUM AND ASSESSMENT
POLICY STATEMENTS: FOUNDATION
PHASE
AN OVERVIEW
LORAYNE EXCELL
WITS SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
WHAT IS CAPS?
• Envisaged changes to the NCS
• To be introduced in 2012
• Aim is to streamline curriculum
implementation
• CAPS will not be introduced until it is gazetted
– this has not yet happened
BACKGROUND
• Developed to improve implementation of NCS
WHY?
• NCS high on idealism and rhetoric
• Low on implementation strategies
CAPS …
• An attempt to make the NCS more accessible
• Provides pacing, sequence, methodologies,
content, resource
BUT
• No curriculum document can replace the
teacher in the classroom
TIME TO THINK
• What has changed, what has stayed the
same?
• What was the general that was articulated in
the NCS?
• What were the principles upon which the NCS
was based?
• What type of learner did the NCS aim to
produce?
SOME CHANGES
• Learning Outcomes and Assessment Standards
have been dropped – yet content, skills and
concepts children are to learn have been
drawn from these LOs and Ass
• Learning areas have been replaced by subjects
• CAPS is in many ways a repackaging of the NCS
PROPOSED CHANGES
• Learning areas are to be replaced by subjects
• In FP 4 subjects
– Home Language
6hrs/week
– First additional language
4/5 hrs/week
– Mathematics
7hrs/week
– Life skills
6 hrs/week
Subjects guided by underpinning principles, for
example, valuing indigenous knowledge and
learning to be contextualised.
CAPS DOCUMENTS INCLUDE:
• Detailed progressive learning plan for each
grade – but CAPS acknowledge children need
to have mastered specific concepts or skills
before proceeding to subsequent ones
• Content to be covered
• Methodologies
• Resources
It is neither a curriculum policy nor a syllabus??
TIME ALLOCATIONS
•
•
•
•
Languages – HL
FAL
Mathematics
Life Skills
Beginning Knowledge
Creative Arts
Physical Education
Personal and Social
Well-being/ Health
Education
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
6
4 (5)
7
6 (7)
1 (2)
2
2
1
SPECIFICS OF TIME ALLOCATIONS
• In Languages 10 hours is allocated in Grades R-2 and
11 hours in Grade 3.
• A maximum of 8 hours and a minimum of 7 hours are
allocated for Home Language and a minimum of 2
hours and a maximum of 3 hours for Additional
Language in Grades R – 2.
• In Grade 3 a maximum of 8 hours and a minimum of
7 hours are allocated for Home Language and a
minimum of 3 hours and a maximum of 4 hours for
First Additional Language.
• In Life Skills Beginning Knowledge is allocated 1 hour
in Grades R – 2 and 2 hours for Grade 3.
Home language
The skills are:
• Listening and Speaking
• Reading and Phonics
• Writing and
Handwriting
• Thinking and Reasoning
and Language Structure
and Use are integrated
into all four language
skills (listening,
speaking, reading and
writing)
THE CONTENT (KNOWLEDGE,
CONCEPTS AND SKILLS)
• an introduction – guidelines how to use the FP
document
• content, concepts and skills to be taught per
term
• requirements for formal assessment activities
and suggestions for informal assessment
• list of recommended resources per grade
INTEGRATION ACROSS ALL SUBJECTS STRESSED
TIME ALLOCATION (MINIMUM TIME
INDICATED IN BRACKETS)
• Home language Grade R-2 8hours (7)
Grade 3- 8 (7)
FAL 3 (2)
4 (3)
• Suggestions are given for Grades 1-3 on how to break down this time.
• Listening and speaking – 15 minutes for 3 days
45 min
• Reading and phonics:
4h30
Phonics 15 minutes per day for 5 days
• Shared reading 15 minutes per day for 3 days
• Group reading -30 minutes per day (2 groups each
for 15 minutes) for 5 days = 2h30
• Handwriting: 15 minutes for 4 days
1h00
• Writing: 15 minutes for 3 days
45 mins
7 hours
ASSESSMENT
• GRADE TERM 1 TERM 2
1
1
2
2
1
2
3
1
3
TERM 3
2
2
3
TERM 4
2
2
2
• In Grade 1 –do a baseline assessment in term 1.
• In Grades 2-3 the Annual National Assessments (ANA) will be
used at the beginning of term 1.
• Informal assessment to inform daily teaching and learning is
also advised (not formally recorded)
• Assessments will be made up of a number of parts dealing
with different aspects of language.
LISTENING AND SPEAKING
• Oral work at the beginning of the day:
suggested ideas weather, news, special
events, birthdays, register, show and tell,
general events, stories.
• Focused activities: provides time for daily and
weekly practicing of these skills.
• To be integrated into Life Skills –
Dramatisation (part of Arts and Crafts)
READING AND WRITING
Daily clear focused lessons including:
• Shared reading
• Group guided reading
• Paired/Independent reading
• Phonics including phonemic awareness
• Input is given re methodology including forming ability groups
and providing steps for guided, paired and independent
reading. Input is also given on the five components of reading
– phonics, word recognition, comprehension, vocabulary and
fluency. These components are briefly described and
examples given.
• Schools may choose their own phonics programme
WRITING
• In Grade 1 children begin ‘writing’ using
pictures but as they master the skills of letter
formation they can start copying individual
words, captions etc.
• By middle of Grade 1 children should write
their own captions for their pictures and
construct at least one sentence.
• By Grade 3 drafts, writes and edits own story
HANDWRITING
• Pre-writing programmes to develop the perceptualmotor skills (gross motor, fine motor, visual
discrimination etc. Correct sitting position
• End of Grade 1 – form lower and upper case letters
correctly and copy sentences correctly
• In Grade 2 begin teaching cursive and by middle of
Grade 3 most children should have made the
transition to cursive writing
• Writing materials are also suggested. beginning with
blank pages and wax crayons to writing on 17mm
lines with a pencil in Grade 2. By Grade 3 children
use 8.5mm lined book
HL- GRADE R
• Integrated and play-based
• Teacher is a mediator who makes the most of incidental
learning opportunities
• Daily programme –routines, free play and teacher-guided
activities and examples are given on how these can promote
literacy learning
• In Grade R CAPS emphasizes that children acquire the
underpinning skills and concepts enabling the successful
acquisition of the literacy skills in Grades 1-3
• Assessment in Grade R is informal
• Assessment tasks should integrate a number of skills
MATHEMATICS
WHAT IS MATHEMATICS?
• It is a language that uses symbols and
notations for describing numerical
geometrical and graphical relationships
• It is a human activity that involves observing,
representing and investigating
• It helps to develop mental processes that
enhances logical and criticalthinking
GRADE R MATHEMATICS
• Stresses informal nature of learning
• Acknowledges that learning should progress from
the kinaesthetic, to the concrete (3 dimensional) to
semi concrete using paper and pencil
representations (2D), using matching cards,
representations on paper, worksheets
• CAPS specifically states worksheets are a final
OPTION and only to be used when the other stages
have been presented and understood by the learners
• Recognition of incidental learning and the integrated
nature of learning
CONTENT AREAS AND GENERAL
CONTENT FOCUS
• Numbers, operations and relationshipsweighting Grade R -3 =55%
• Patterns, functions and algebra – weighting
Grades R-3 = 7.5%
• Space and shape (geometry) – weighting
Grades R-3 = 15%
• Measurement –weighting Grades R-3 = 15%
• Data Handling - weighting Grades R-3 = 7.5%
WHOLE NUMBER
• Grade R Counts to at least 10
everyday objects reliably
• Grade 1 Counts to at least 50
everyday objects reliably
• Grade2 counts to at least 100
everyday objects reliably
• Grade R Counts forwards and
backwards in 1s from 1-10
• Grade 1 Counts forwards and
backwards in 1s from any number
from 0 – 100
• Grade 2 Counts forwards and
backwards in 1s, 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s and
10s, between 0 - 200Counts
forwards and backwards in 2,5s
and 10s between 0 and 500
• Grade 3 Counts forwards and
backwards in 2s, 5s, 10s and 100s
between 0 and 1000
LIFE SKILLS
• It is a subject that is central and holistic to child’s holistic development.
• Comprises social, personal, intellectual, emotional and physical growth of
learners and ways in which they are integrated
• 4 Study areas: Beginning knowledge, Personal and social wellbeing,
Creative arts and Physical education.
• This organization is to ensure that the foundational skills, values and
concepts of early childhood development and of the subjects offered in
Grade 4-12 are taught and developed in Grades R-3.
• Beginning knowledge and Personal and Social wellbeing are integrated
under topics
• Life Skills should be cross cutting and strengthen the teaching of the other
core FP subjects, namely HL, FAL and Maths.
Life skills
–
–
–
–
Beginning knowledge
Arts and craft
Physical Education
Personal and social wellbeing
Health Education
1(2) hrs/week
2 hrs/week
2 hrs/week
1/hr/week
• The content for Beginning Knowledge and Personal and
Social Well being is drawn from Social Science (history
and geography), Natural Science (Physical science,
biology and zoology), Technology.
• Topics (themes) can be used to organise this
knowledge.
PERSONAL AND SOCIAL WELL-BEING/
HEALTH EDUCATION
• An important area because they are still learning to look after themselves
and keep themselves healthy.
• It includes social health, emotional health, and relationships with other
people and our environment, including values and attitudes.
• Children helped to make morally responsible and informed and
accountable decisions about their health and the environment.
• Topics covered include nutrition, diseases including HIV/AIDS, safey,
violence, abuse, and environmental health.
• Learners develop the skills to relate positively and make a contribution to
family, community and society while practicing the values embedded in
the Constitution.
• Embraces constitutional rights and responsibilities, to respect the rights of
others, to show tolerance for cultural and religious diversity in order to
contribute to a democratic society.
CREATIVE ARTS
• Includes dance, drama, music (performing arts) and visual arts
• Purpose: Develop learners as creative, imaginative individuals
with an appreciation of the arts
• Process orientated with an emphasis on developing skills,
enjoyment and experiential learning rather than on the end
product
• The visual and performing arts are closely linked to the
development of the sensory-motor skills and fine and gross
motor movements. Children should be exposed to a variety
of art techniques and to creative dance and exploratory
movement
PHYSICAL EDUCATION
• Links are made to gross and fine motor as well as
perceptual development
• The importance of physical and motor development
underpinning holistic development is acknowledged
• Focus is on perceptual and loco motor development,
rhythm, balance and laterality
• Focus in FP is on games which will form the basis of
playing sport in later Grades
• Physical growth, and development and recreation
and play is emphasized
LIFE SKILLS AND GRADE R
• Need to link to NELDS
• Informal approach
• Daily programme – routines, free play and
teacher –guided activities – examples given
• Perceptual development
POINTERS FOR GRADES 1-3
• Topics
• Beginning knowledge and personal and social well-being organized under
topics. Topics will help to integrate the content from different study areas
where appropriate.
• Topics should be adapted to meet learners needs – i.e. contextualized
• Teachers may also choose their own topics
• The topics are weighted - 2 hours per week is given to each topic. Teacher
may organize the time allocated to each study area as they wish
• Sequencing and progression
• Basis is because learning in young children is best done beginning with the
familiar and introducing less familiar topics later on in the year.
FIRST ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE
• Not the same as teaching home language
• FAL might be the LoLT
• Provide multiple opportunities for learners to
hear and use the FAL informally
• Time allocated to writing and language use
increases in Grade 3
• Document acknowledges that it takes time to
master an additional language
INSTRUCTION IN FAL
• Same skills as mentioned in HL need to be
developed but pace is different (not hand
writing)
• Importance of contextualising learning is
stressed
• In Grades R -1 the focus is on listening and
speaking
• This includes greeting people, simple manners
• By Grade 1 talking about oneself, the home,
school etc.
INSTRUCTION IN FAL
• Short, frequent lessons advised
• Importance of vocabulary stressed
• Reading Introduction of reading is informal in
first half of Grade 1
FAL
• FAL only to be formally introduced from Grade
1
• In Grade R do rhymes, songs, stories in FAL,
but these must be informally introduced
SOME GRADE R SPECIFICS
•
•
•
•
Workbooks/sheets are an additional resource
They cannot be the only activity that the
teachers can do with children or use to
evaluate the children
Teachers must be creative and imaginative
Workbook activities can be randomly chosen
Workbooks are a resource and not a must do!
ASSESSMENT GUIDELINES
• No formal assessment
• Reports to parents must be more informative and
teachers must comment on the development of
the child.
• Reports must be according to the components
(Learning Area) of the subjects.
GRADES 1-3 ACKNOWLEDGES THAT:
• All concepts should be thoroughly taught
before moving onto the next one
• Learners abilities must be taken into account
when deciding upon alternative teaching
methods
• Activities are designed to consolidate learning
on a concrete, semi-concrete and abstract
level
IMPLEMENTATION
GOOD LUCK