TPF2601
Assessments 4
PORTFOLIO 51
Due 2025
,TPF2601
Assessments 4
Portfolio 51
Due 2025
Activity 1 – Morning Ring
Introduction
The morning ring observed in the Grade R classroom functioned as a well-orchestrated
pedagogical space, deliberately structured to promote foundational language
development. Far beyond a procedural start to the day, this time was used by the
mentor teacher to cultivate learners’ oral communication, syntactic awareness, and
narrative competence. Through the strategic use of the birthday chart, weather chart,
and attendance register, the teacher created rich opportunities for learners to interact
meaningfully with language in ways that were developmentally appropriate and socially
engaging.
1. Birthday Chart
Observed Practice:
Birthday celebrations were ritualised and inclusive. The teacher invited the birthday
child to step forward and announce, “Today is my birthday. I am turning six.” The class
responded with a birthday song, followed by a short discussion where peers were
encouraged to ask questions or share memories of their own birthdays.
,Language Development Impact:
This practice nurtures oral narrative skills, allowing learners to use temporal
language (e.g., “yesterday,” “next year”) and first-person pronouns in a familiar,
meaningful context. It promotes sentence construction and expressive language while
encouraging social language functions such as sharing and questioning. The
approach aligns strongly with Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, as it places the learner
in a socially rich environment that supports learning through interaction. It also meets
CAPS Life Skills outcomes related to identity formation and personal history.
Why It’s Effective:
This segment builds confidence in public speaking, enhances vocabulary retention
through emotionally significant contexts, and fosters empathetic communication as
peers acknowledge each other’s experiences. It simultaneously develops syntax, tense
usage, and turn-taking—all essential for later narrative writing and comprehension.
2. Weather Chart
Observed Practice:
Learners took turns identifying and describing the weather using a chart with pictorial
symbols (e.g., sun, clouds, raindrops). The teacher posed guided questions such as,
“What is the sky telling us today?” and “What should we wear if it’s windy?”
Language Development Impact:
This routine introduced descriptive vocabulary (e.g., “windy,” “chilly,” “overcast”) and
supported sentence formulation using grammatically correct structures like “It is
sunny.” Learners also practiced cause-and-effect reasoning: “If it rains, we stay
inside.” These practices mirror the Dual Coding Theory (Paivio, 1991), combining
visual aids with spoken input to enhance concept learning and memory. The integration
of weather discussions also supports Natural Science outcomes, reinforcing cross-
curricular connections.
, Why It’s Effective:
The activity strengthens semantic field development around weather and seasons,
fosters conditional language usage, and offers repeated opportunities to refine
sentence construction. For multilingual learners, the visual and verbal integration
supports inclusive access to language acquisition. The predictability of the chart
reinforces confidence while gradually expanding the learners’ descriptive repertoire.
3. Attendance Register (2 Marks)
Observed Practice:
The teacher called out learners’ names one by one, pointing to a printed class list.
Learners responded in complete sentences: “I am here today.” When a classmate was
absent, peers responded with “She is not here.” Visual aids were provided for learners
still developing print recognition.
Language Development Impact:
This daily practice encourages print awareness—learners begin to understand that
written names correspond to spoken language. It also reinforces basic syntactic
structures, subject-verb agreement, and pronoun usage (he, she, I). Learners
observe and participate in functional language use, as outlined by Halliday’s (1975)
theory of language functions. The teacher’s use of modelling and repetition aligns
with Bruner’s scaffolding model, supporting gradual language internalisation.
Why It’s Effective:
Learners engage in real-world communication within a structured environment that
encourages sentence completion, active listening, and identity affirmation. This supports
both linguistic and social-emotional development, as learners hear their names read
aloud and confirm their presence, promoting a sense of belonging and routine
participation—critical factors for language confidence in early literacy.
Assessments 4
PORTFOLIO 51
Due 2025
,TPF2601
Assessments 4
Portfolio 51
Due 2025
Activity 1 – Morning Ring
Introduction
The morning ring observed in the Grade R classroom functioned as a well-orchestrated
pedagogical space, deliberately structured to promote foundational language
development. Far beyond a procedural start to the day, this time was used by the
mentor teacher to cultivate learners’ oral communication, syntactic awareness, and
narrative competence. Through the strategic use of the birthday chart, weather chart,
and attendance register, the teacher created rich opportunities for learners to interact
meaningfully with language in ways that were developmentally appropriate and socially
engaging.
1. Birthday Chart
Observed Practice:
Birthday celebrations were ritualised and inclusive. The teacher invited the birthday
child to step forward and announce, “Today is my birthday. I am turning six.” The class
responded with a birthday song, followed by a short discussion where peers were
encouraged to ask questions or share memories of their own birthdays.
,Language Development Impact:
This practice nurtures oral narrative skills, allowing learners to use temporal
language (e.g., “yesterday,” “next year”) and first-person pronouns in a familiar,
meaningful context. It promotes sentence construction and expressive language while
encouraging social language functions such as sharing and questioning. The
approach aligns strongly with Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, as it places the learner
in a socially rich environment that supports learning through interaction. It also meets
CAPS Life Skills outcomes related to identity formation and personal history.
Why It’s Effective:
This segment builds confidence in public speaking, enhances vocabulary retention
through emotionally significant contexts, and fosters empathetic communication as
peers acknowledge each other’s experiences. It simultaneously develops syntax, tense
usage, and turn-taking—all essential for later narrative writing and comprehension.
2. Weather Chart
Observed Practice:
Learners took turns identifying and describing the weather using a chart with pictorial
symbols (e.g., sun, clouds, raindrops). The teacher posed guided questions such as,
“What is the sky telling us today?” and “What should we wear if it’s windy?”
Language Development Impact:
This routine introduced descriptive vocabulary (e.g., “windy,” “chilly,” “overcast”) and
supported sentence formulation using grammatically correct structures like “It is
sunny.” Learners also practiced cause-and-effect reasoning: “If it rains, we stay
inside.” These practices mirror the Dual Coding Theory (Paivio, 1991), combining
visual aids with spoken input to enhance concept learning and memory. The integration
of weather discussions also supports Natural Science outcomes, reinforcing cross-
curricular connections.
, Why It’s Effective:
The activity strengthens semantic field development around weather and seasons,
fosters conditional language usage, and offers repeated opportunities to refine
sentence construction. For multilingual learners, the visual and verbal integration
supports inclusive access to language acquisition. The predictability of the chart
reinforces confidence while gradually expanding the learners’ descriptive repertoire.
3. Attendance Register (2 Marks)
Observed Practice:
The teacher called out learners’ names one by one, pointing to a printed class list.
Learners responded in complete sentences: “I am here today.” When a classmate was
absent, peers responded with “She is not here.” Visual aids were provided for learners
still developing print recognition.
Language Development Impact:
This daily practice encourages print awareness—learners begin to understand that
written names correspond to spoken language. It also reinforces basic syntactic
structures, subject-verb agreement, and pronoun usage (he, she, I). Learners
observe and participate in functional language use, as outlined by Halliday’s (1975)
theory of language functions. The teacher’s use of modelling and repetition aligns
with Bruner’s scaffolding model, supporting gradual language internalisation.
Why It’s Effective:
Learners engage in real-world communication within a structured environment that
encourages sentence completion, active listening, and identity affirmation. This supports
both linguistic and social-emotional development, as learners hear their names read
aloud and confirm their presence, promoting a sense of belonging and routine
participation—critical factors for language confidence in early literacy.
