The Grade 2 IsiXhosa HL curriculum focuses on building strong literacy skills for native speakers. The 2026 syllabus emphasizes fluent reading, phonemic awareness, and creative writing through culturally relevant themes such as “Mna nabanye” (Myself and Others) and “Impilo entle” (Healthy Living).
This guide outlines the 2026 IsiXhosa HL Annual Teaching Plan (ATP), providing a structured weekly roadmap to help teachers guide young learners from basic phonics to constructing meaningful paragraphs.
IsiXhosa HL Grade 2 ATP 2026
The curriculum is structured around four main skills: Listening & Speaking (20%), Phonics (20%), Reading (25%), and Writing/Handwriting (35%).
Term 1: Identity, Friendship & Health
Focus: The first term centers on personal identity, social relationships, and basic health, while establishing phonic foundations.
- Weeks 1–3: Mna nabanye (Myself and Others)
- Listening/Speaking: Discussing holiday news, bullying (“ungcungcutheko”), and class rules.
- Phonics: Single sounds (u-/kh/, /hl/) and digraphs (u-/qh/, /gq/). Building words like iziqhamo (fruit) and igqabi (leaf).
- Reading: Shared reading about bullying and emotions.
- Weeks 4–6: Wonke ubani ubalulekile (Everyone is Special)
- Theme: Emotions, friendship (“abahlobo”), and children with barriers.
- Skills: Role-playing solutions to bullying.
- Phonics: Sounds (u-/ng/, /dl/, /gc/, /mb/). Words like ukudlala (playing) and isigcawu (spider).
- Weeks 7–8: Sidinga ntoni ukuze siphile? (What Do We Need to Live?)
- Theme: Water conservation and basic needs.
- Phonics: Sounds (uth-/hl-, u-/bh/, /ph/). Words like isithuthuthu (motorcycle).
- Weeks 9–10: Impilo entle (Healthy Living)
- Theme: Healthy habits vs. unhealthy living (“Ben stays ill”).
- Phonics: Sounds (u-/nc/, /th/). Words like inciniba (ostrich).
- Writing: Writing sentences about healthy living.
Term 2: Seasons, Animals & Nature
Focus: The second term expands vocabulary through nature themes, covering seasons and the animal kingdom.
- Weeks 1–4: Amaxesha Onyaka (Seasons)
- Theme: Weather, clothing, and food in different seasons.
- Skills: Comparing seasons and explaining preferences.
- Phonics: Sounds (u-dl/, /ny/, /lw/, /dw/, /kw/, /tw/). Words like ulwandle (sea) and ukudwadwazela.
- Weeks 5–6: Izilwanyana (Animals)
- Theme: Farm animals vs. Wild animals.
- Skills: Discussing animal sounds, homes, and young.
- Phonics: Sounds (u-/gw/, /jw/, /qw/, /zw/). Words like igwala (coward) and iqwarhashe (zebra).
- Weeks 7–8: Izilwanyana Zasemanzini (Water Animals)
- Theme: Sea creatures and their habitats.
- Phonics: Sounds (u-/nz/, /nq/, /gc/, /gq/). Words like inzipho (nails) and umgca (line).
- Weeks 9–10: Amakhaya Ezilwanyana (Animal Shelters)
- Theme: Animals that carry their homes (snails/tortoises).
- Phonics: Sounds (u-ty/, u-loo/, u-lii/). Words like ukutya (food) and oonopopi (dolls).
Term 3: Soil, Transport & Community
Focus: The third term looks at the environment and community structures, introducing more complex vocabulary.
- Weeks 1–2: Umhlaba (Soil)
- Theme: Importance of soil and creatures living in it.
- Phonics: Sounds (u-/qh/, /tsh/, /th/, /sh/). Words like umtshayelo (broom).
- Weeks 3–5: Ezothutho (Transport)
- Theme: Different modes of transport (land, sea, air) and travel experiences.
- Phonics: Sounds (u-/nw/, /kr/, /mf/, /hl/, /nkq/). Words like unwabu (chameleon) and inkqayi (bald head).
- Weeks 6–7: Ukhuseleko Endleleni (Road Safety)
- Theme: Road signs, traffic lights, and safe crossing.
- Phonics: Sounds (u-/ndi/, /ngc/, /ngq/, /nts/). Words like indlu (house) and ingqolowa (wheat).
- Weeks 8–10: Abantu abasincedayo (People Who Help Us)
- Theme: Community helpers (Police, Doctors).
- Phonics: Sounds (u-ngx/, /krw/, /tsw/, /ncw/). Words like ingxowa (bag) and incwadi (book).
Term 4: Our Country & Communication
Focus: The final term explores national identity and communication methods.
- Weeks 1–2: Ilizwe Lethu (Our Country)
- Theme: National symbols and the flag.
- Phonics: Sounds (u-/rhw/, /shw/, /thw/, /tsw/). Words like iyarhwashaza (rustling).
- Weeks 3–5: Iindlela Zonxibelelwano (Ways to Communicate)
- Theme: Old vs. New communication, sign language.
- Phonics: Sounds (u-/tyw/, /tsh/, /tyh/, /xhw/). Words like utywala (alcohol) and ixhwele (herbalist).
- Weeks 6–8: Ubomi Ebusuku (Life at Night)
- Theme: Nocturnal animals and night shifts.
- Phonics: Sounds (u-/ths/, /nyw/, /nzw/, /ndy/). Words like inywebeba (mouse type).
Assessment Guidelines
- Format: Assessment is continuous and integrated into daily activities.
- Formal Assessment Task (FAT): One task per term covering Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing.
- Tools: Checklists and rubrics are used to monitor progress in phonics, reading fluency, and creative writing.
FAQ: IsiXhosa HL Grade 2
Q: What is “Shared Reading”? A: Shared Reading involves the teacher reading a big book to the class, modeling pronunciation and intonation. It focuses on comprehension questions like “Ucinga ukuba…?” (What do you think…?).
Q: How is writing taught? A: Writing progresses from simple captions to paragraphs of 6-8 sentences. Learners focus on punctuation (capital letters, full stops), spelling familiar words, and using different tenses (past/present/future).
Q: What are the “Tricky Sounds”? A: IsiXhosa has complex digraphs and trigraphs like ngq, krw, tsh, rhw. These are explicitly taught in phonics lessons to ensure correct pronunciation and spelling.