This Grade R Life Skills lesson helps learners talk about transport — how we get to school, different kinds of vehicles, and whether they move on land, in the air or on water. It is play-based: pictures, toys, a sort game, drawing and talk — not a written test.
CAPS topic (naming only): Foundation Phase Life Skills — Beginning Knowledge — Transport (Grade R). CAPS topic bullets include getting to school, different kinds of transport, and transport long ago. Use the bullets that match your ATP and term; treat “transport long ago” as optional if your week is kinds-of-transport only. CAPS123 is a practical classroom aid. It is not an official DBE publication.
Materials (teacher-prepared)
- Picture cards or posters: car, bus, taxi/minibus, bicycle, train, aeroplane, boat/ship
- Optional tactile toys: toy car, boat, aeroplane (and a bicycle picture or model)
- Three large sheets or floor mats labelled Land, Water, Air
- Crayons / colouring pencils and drawing paper
- Optional: short transport slideshow or video; transport-themed storybook
- Chart paper and markers
No hosted worksheet download on this page. Do not promise a CAPS123 printable that is not linked here. Use teacher-made picture cards, the sort mats and drawing paper.
Learning objectives
By the end of the lesson, learners should be able to:
- 1. Name common vehicles they see or use (including how they get to school).
- 2. Sort vehicles into land, air and water.
- 3. Say a simple sentence about what a vehicle is used for (e.g. “A bus takes people to school”).
- 4. Talk about their favourite mode of transport using new words (car, bus, bicycle, aeroplane, boat).
Vocabulary
| Term | Meaning for Grade R |
|---|---|
| Transport | Ways we move people or things from place to place |
| Vehicle | Something that carries people or goods (car, bus, boat…) |
| Land | On the ground / road / rail |
| Air | Up in the sky |
| Water | On rivers, dams or the sea |
| Bicycle | Two wheels you pedal |
| Aeroplane | Flies in the air |
| Boat | Travels on water |
Previous learning
Learners have practised simple identify-and-sort skills (e.g. animals or foods). Activate what they already know about cars, taxis, walking to school or seeing aeroplanes — without shaming learners who walk or travel differently.
Anticipated challenges
| Challenge | Classroom move |
|---|---|
| Mixing land / air / water | Clear pictures + toy models on the three mats |
| Limited vocabulary | Repeat short phrases: “A ___ travels on ___” |
| Short attention | Keep each step active; praise participation |
Beginning (about 4 minutes)
- 1. Hook (2 min): Greet the class. Ask: “How did you come to school today?” Collect a few answers (walk, car, taxi, bus). Link: “Today we learn about transport — different ways we travel.”
- 2. Focus (2 min): Show one familiar picture (car or taxi). Ask who has seen or ridden in it. Briefly show that vehicles can be for land, air or water.
Middle (about 32 minutes)
- 1. Direct instruction (8 min): Introduce picture cards (and toys if you have them). Name each vehicle. Sort aloud into land (car, bus, taxi, bicycle, train), air (aeroplane) and water (boat, ship). Stress uses: a bus takes many people; a bicycle is pedalled; an aeroplane flies; a boat travels on water.
- 2. Guided practice — sort game (10 min): Lay the three Land / Water / Air sheets. Learners take turns placing a card or toy on the correct sheet. Class says the name and category together.
- 3. Hands-on — favourite transport drawing (10 min): Learners draw and colour their favourite mode of transport. Circulate with sentence starters: “I like the ___ because ___.” Optional: read a short transport storybook, pointing to land/air/water examples.
- 4. Share (4 min): A few learners show drawings and say one use sentence.
End (about 4 minutes)
- 1. Exit ticket (3 min): Each learner names one vehicle from today and says land, air or water.
- 2. Close (1 min): Praise effort. Recap: “We learned about cars, buses, bicycles, aeroplanes and boats — and how they help us travel on land, in the air and on water.”
Assessment
- Observe the sort game (correct category + naming).
- Listen for a simple use sentence during share or exit ticket.
- Look at drawings for engagement (not for neat handwriting).
Differentiation
- Support: Peer partners; hold the toy while naming; sentence starter “A ___ is used to ___.”
- Stretch: Add one more detail (what it carries, who drives/flies it) or draw a second vehicle.
- Access: Large clear pictures; tactile toys; allow Home Language labels first, then English/LoLT words.
Teaching notes
Keep the lesson play-based and visual. Use SA English (aeroplane, travelling). Include local examples (taxi, minibus, walking) when learners raise them. Soft-link only: next-step Grade 2 modes of transport — Understanding different modes of transport (different grade — do not merge). Optional Grade R healthy-living sibling if your hub links Life Skills topics: Healthy living.
CAPS and ATP reminder
Subject: Life Skills, Grade R. Study area: Beginning Knowledge. Topic: Transport. Confirm hours, week and any formal check on your ATP. CAPS subject files: DBE CAPS hub.aspx). ATPs: DBE ATP hub (2023ATPs) (2023/24 retained with exclusions — Circular S19 of 2025).
Disclaimer
CAPS123 is independent and not an official DBE publication. Any classroom materials you print from your own files are teacher-prepared aids unless a CAPS123 download is linked on this page.