Life Skills is the backbone of the Foundation Phase curriculum. For Grade 1 learners in 2026, this subject is critical for developing emotional resilience, physical coordination, and social awareness. It serves as the bridge that integrates content from Languages and Mathematics into meaningful, everyday contexts.
This guide outlines the 2026 Life Skills Annual Teaching Plan (ATP), providing a structured weekly roadmap to help teachers guide young learners through topics like “Me”, “My Family”, and “Healthy Habits”, while prioritizing their physical and emotional well-being.
Life Skills Grade 1 ATP 2026
The curriculum is divided into four terms, integrating Beginning Knowledge, Personal and Social Well-being, Creative Arts, and Physical Education.
Term 1: Me, My School & Healthy Habits
Focus: The first term focuses on orientation, perceptual development, and establishing routines. It is a critical period for school readiness.
- Weeks 1–2: Orientation & Perceptual Development
- Orientation: Rules, procedures, and navigating the classroom and school.
- Perceptual Skills: Auditory discrimination, spatial orientation, and crossing the midline.
- Weeks 3–4: Me
- Identity: Personal details (name, age, address), body parts, and what makes each learner unique.
- Self-esteem: Developing self-love, respect, and identifying personal strengths (things I can do).
- Weeks 5–6: At School
- Environment: Name of the school, teacher, and principal. Understanding classroom routines and the importance of rules.
- Respect: Treating others with care and understanding similarities/differences.
- Weeks 7–8: Healthy Habits
- Hygiene: Daily routines like washing hands, brushing teeth/hair, and toilet etiquette.
- Wellness: Importance of sleep, healthy food, and regular exercise.
- Weeks 9–10: Weather
- Observation: Daily weather charts (hot, cold, windy, rainy) and appropriate clothing for different conditions.
- Safety: Dangers of looking directly at the sun.
Term 1 Creative Arts & PE
- Creative Arts: Drawing self-portraits, printing patterns, and building 3D box constructions.
- Physical Education: Locomotor movements (walking, skipping), balance, and spatial awareness games.
Term 2: Family, Safety & The Body
Focus: The second term expands the learner’s world to include their family and safety, while deepening their understanding of their own bodies.
- Weeks 1–4: My Family
- Concept: Defining a family (immediate and extended) and understanding different family structures.
- Care: Showing love, respect, and appreciation for family members and the duties they perform.
- Week 5: Safety in the Home
- Dangers: Identifying hazards like electricity, hot stoves, poisons, and medicines. Knowing emergency numbers.
- Weeks 6–8: My Body
- Senses: Exploring the five senses (sight, smell, touch, taste, hearing) through sensory experiences.
- Function: Understanding major organs (heart, lungs, stomach, brain) and how body parts move.
- Weeks 9–11: Keeping My Body Safe
- Protection: “Yes” and “No” feelings, practicing saying “No”, and safe vs. unsafe situations.
- Health: Preventing illness by covering the mouth when coughing/sneezing and washing fruit/vegetables.
Term 2 Creative Arts & PE
- Creative Arts: Finger painting, modeling clay/playdough, and role-playing family situations.
- Physical Education: Rhythm activities (jumping, hopping), lateral movements, and coordination drills.
Term 3: Community, Pets & Food
Focus: The third term looks outward to the community and nature, teaching responsibility and healthy lifestyle choices.
- Weeks 1–4: My Community
- Places: Identifying key facilities (clinics, shops, police stations) and people in the community.
- Responsibility: Keeping the community clean and not littering.
- Weeks 5–6: Manners & Responsibility
- Values: Greeting people, waiting your turn, sharing, honesty, and respecting others’ belongings.
- Week 7: Pets
- Care: Animals that can be pets, how to care for them, and showing kindness/compassion to animals.
- Weeks 8–9: Plants & Seeds
- Growth: Parts of a plant (roots, stem, leaves), what plants need to grow, and the importance of plants to us.
- Weeks 10–11: Food
- Sources: Where food comes from (plants vs. animals) and identifying healthy vs. unhealthy food choices.
- Storage: How to store and preserve food (fresh, tinned, dried).
Term 3 Creative Arts & PE
- Creative Arts: Painting imaginary creatures, making transport models, and dramatizing stories.
- Physical Education: Rope skipping, balancing on ropes, and ball skills (throwing/catching).
Term 4: Homes, Water & The Sky
Focus: The final term covers environmental topics, teaching learners about resources (water) and the world around them (homes, sky).
- Weeks 1–3: Homes
- Types: Different types of homes (flats, houses, traditional homes) and materials used (brick, wood, mud, tin).
- Week 4: Picture Maps
- Skills: Finding places on a simple map and understanding direction/navigation.
- Weeks 5–8: Water
- Uses: How we use water at home and school.
- Conservation: Saving water, fixing leaks, and identifying safe vs. unsafe drinking water.
- Weeks 9–10: The Sky at Night
- Concepts: Day vs. Night, the moon, stars, and why the sun is a star.
Term 4 Creative Arts & PE
- Creative Arts: Creating 2D and 3D artworks related to space or homes, and performing songs/poems.
- Physical Education: Locomotor circuits (run, skip, crawl) and rhythm games using musical instruments.
Assessment Guidelines
- Format: Assessment in Grade 1 is informal and continuous. It is based on observation of learners during daily activities.
- School-Based Assessment (SBA): Formal recording is done using rubrics for specific tasks, but learners must be given multiple opportunities to demonstrate skills before recording.
FAQ: Life Skills Grade 1
Q: What is “Perceptual Development”? A: It refers to the development of skills that allow a child to interpret sensory information. This includes auditory discrimination (hearing differences in sounds), visual discrimination (seeing differences in shapes/letters), and spatial awareness (understanding position in space).
Q: Why is Play important in the curriculum? A: The ATP emphasizes that PLAY is the natural way young learners learn and should not be withheld. It fosters social skills, physical coordination, and emotional well-being.
Q: How is Physical Education assessed? A: PE is assessed through observation of the learner’s participation and movement performance in activities like locomotion, rhythm, balance, and coordination.