IsiXhosa Home Language in Grade 5 is designed to deepen learners’ appreciation for their mother tongue while advancing their skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The curriculum emphasizes reading for enjoyment, requiring learners to engage with novels, folklore, and poetry, while also mastering practical texts like instructions and reports. To ensure you have a complete roadmap for the year, it is essential to consult the full Grade 5 Annual Teaching Plans (ATPs).
This guide outlines the 2026 IsiXhosa Home Language Grade 5 ATP, providing a structured weekly breakdown from Information Texts in Term 1 to the major Creative Writing Project in Term 3 and Final Exams in Term 4.
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Download ATP HereIsiXhosa Home Language Grade 5 ATP 2026
The Annual Teaching Plan for Grade 5 emphasizes the development of critical thinking through language, requiring learners to analyze texts, understand literary devices (izafobe), and produce structured creative writing.
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Term 1: Information, Novels, and Instructions
Focus: The first term establishes a routine of daily reading and introduces learners to various non-fiction and literary texts, starting with information texts and moving into the study of a novel.
- Weeks 1–2: Information Texts (Itekisi enika ulwazi)
- Reading: Reading information texts and social texts like SMS or emails.
- Writing: Writing an information text (3–4 paragraphs) or an SMS/email.
- Language: Nouns (Amahlelo ezibizo), Verbs (Intlobo zezenzi), and Tenses (Ixesha langoku, ixesha elizayo).
- Weeks 3–4: The Novel (Inoveli)
- Listening & Speaking: Listening to extracts and discussing characters and values.
- Reading: Reading extracts from the novel; identifying main ideas and supporting details.
- Writing: Writing a book review (Isigxeko-ncomo sencwadi) or summary.
- Language: Pronouns (Izimelabizo), Adjectives (Izichazi), and Conjunctions (Izihlanganisi).
- Weeks 5–6: Short Story (Ibali elifutshane)
- Reading: Reading a short story; predicting outcomes and discussing the plot.
- Writing: Writing a narrative or descriptive story.
- Language: Noun classes (Amahlelo ezibizo) and Prefixes/Suffixes (Izimaphambili nezimamva).
- Weeks 7–8: Newspaper Article (Inqaku lephephandaba)
- Reading: Reading reports; scanning for specific details (who, what, where, when, why).
- Writing: Writing a newspaper article with a headline and lead paragraph.
- Language: Subject-verb agreement (Isivumelanisi sentloko nesivumelanisi senjongosenzi) and Antonyms (Izichasi).
- Weeks 9–10: Instructions (Imiyalelo)
- Reading: Reading instructional texts (e.g., recipes).
- Writing: Writing a set of instructions (e.g., how to make a sandwich).
- Language: Adverbs of place, time, and manner (Izihlomelo); Command verbs (Iziyaleli).
Term 2: Poetry, Drama, and Reports
Focus: Term 2 explores creative genres like poetry and drama, alongside functional texts like weather reports, culminating in the mid-year examinations.
- Weeks 1–2: Poetry (Umbongo)
- Reading: Analyzing poems for rhyme, rhythm, and figures of speech (metaphors, similes).
- Writing: Writing a poem using alliteration (Imfanozandi) and similes (Isifaniso).
- Language: Abstract nouns (Izibizo ezingabonakaliyo) and Compound nouns (Izibizo ezimbaxa).
- Weeks 3–4: Weather Reports (Ingxelo yemozulu)
- Listening: Interpreting weather forecasts and discussing climate.
- Reading: Reading weather maps and symbols.
- Writing: Writing a weather report using visual data (maps/charts).
- Language: Future Tense (Ixesha elizayo); Homophones (Oomabizwafane) and Antonyms.
- Weeks 5–6: Drama (Umdlalo)
- Listening: Identifying plot, atmosphere, and character traits in a play.
- Reading: Reading a play script; understanding stage directions and dialogue.
- Writing: Writing a play script or dialogue.
- Language: Direct and Indirect Speech (Intetho-ngqo nengxelo-ntetho).
- Weeks 7–8: Reports (Ingxelo)
- Reading: Reading reports containing tables, graphs, or diagrams.
- Writing: Writing a report based on investigation facts.
- Language: Past Continuous Tense and Future Continuous Tense.
- Weeks 9–10: Assessment
- Task: June Controlled Test (Comprehension, Visual Text, Summary, Language).
Term 3: The Creative Writing Project
Focus: The third term is centred around a major Creative Writing Project that spans research, writing, and oral presentation, alongside the study of folklore.
- Weeks 1–2: Folklore (Intsomi)
- Reading: Myths and legends; distinguishing between realistic and fantasy elements.
- Writing: Writing a descriptive paragraph about a character or setting.
- Language: Singular/Plural Nouns, Diminutives (Izinciphiso).
- Weeks 3–4: Project Stage 1 (Research)
- Activity: Researching a specific literary genre (Poetry, Drama, Folklore, or Short Story).
- Skills: Collecting information, organizing notes, and compiling a bibliography.
- Weeks 5–6: Project Stage 2 (Writing)
- Activity: Drafting the creative piece based on the research (e.g., writing the story or poem).
- Process: Planning, drafting, editing, and producing a final version for assessment (40 marks).
- Weeks 7–8: Advertisements (Isibhengezo)
- Reading: Analyzing ads for target audience and visual effectiveness.
- Writing: Creating an advertisement using persuasive language.
- Language: Degrees of comparison and Adverbs.
- Weeks 9–10: Poetry (Umbongo)
- Reading: Analyzing poems for deeper meaning and figures of speech.
- Writing: Writing a poem using figures of speech like metaphors and similes.
Term 4: Revision and Final Assessment
Focus: The final term revisits key text types, finalizes the oral component of the project, and prepares learners for the end-of-year exams.
- Weeks 1–2: Stories/Folklore (Amabali/Iintsomi)
- Reading: Reading stories with animal characters (fables).
- Writing: Writing a story with a clear plot, background, and characters.
- Language: Idioms (Amaqhalo), Similes (Izifaniso), and Metaphors (Izikweko).
- Weeks 3–4: Reports (Ingxelo)
- Listening: Discussing news bulletins and critical questions.
- Speaking: Presenting a formal oral report.
- Writing: Writing a formal report.
- Language: Conjunctions (Izihlanganisi), Synonyms, and Antonyms.
- Weeks 5–6: Information Texts (Itekisi enika ulwazi)
- Reading: Interpreting texts with complex visuals (maps/graphs).
- Writing: Writing an information text (3–4 paragraphs).
- Language: Adjectives (Izichazi), Adverbs (Izihlomelo), and Conjunctions.
- Weeks 7–8: Oral Assessment
- Task: Finalizing the Oral Presentation (Task 7) linked to the Term 3 Creative Writing Project.
- Revision: Reviewing all language structures.
- Weeks 9–10: Final Exams
- Task: End-of-Year Controlled Test (Comprehension, Visual Text, Summary, Language).
FAQ: IsiXhosa Home Language Grade 5
Q: What is the reading requirement for Grade 5? A: Learners are expected to engage in “Reading for Enjoyment” daily. This involves reading a novel or reader for at least 30 minutes every day to build fluency and vocabulary.
Q: How does the Creative Writing Project work? A: It is a 3-stage process starting in Term 3. Stage 1 is Research (10 marks), Stage 2 is Writing the creative piece (30 marks), and Stage 3 is the Oral Presentation of the project (20 marks), which is often finalized in Term 4.
Q: What language structures are important in Term 1? A: Term 1 focuses heavily on Nouns (Izibizo), Verbs (Izenzo), Tenses (Amaxesha), and basic figures of speech like idioms (Amaqhalo) and similes (Izifaniso).