Help for a South African Preschool Teacher

I got a recent plea for help from Moray in South Africa.

Can you help?

I am a South African Pre-school teacher with 47 children in my class, ranching in age from 2 years to 6 years. Most of the children are isiZulu speaking, so it is an enormous challenge on its own. However, last week the head appointed me to devise an "Orientation Programme" for the first few weeks of school for Grade 1. She wants both fine and gross motor skills to be included. Our end of year finishes in 4 weeks' time, which gives me very little time. With my current workload, Christmas concert, Carol service, Speech Day for the entire foundation phase (Grades R - 3), testing of new and remedial children for the Foundation phase and 47 very comprehensive reports, I can't see the trees for the wood. (I am the sole teacher for the Pre-primary and I have already had to devise the entrance tests for the foundation phase and compile the new report formats for the new revised South African curriculum), which was time consuming but I was given sufficient time in which to complete the tasks. Right now I am at panic stations, as I have to have completed this by the end of November when our schools close.

If there is any advice, worksheets, practical tips etc, that you could give me or site to which you could direct me, I shall be extremely grateful. I do not teach grade1, so I have no material whatsoever. Our Grade 1 teachers are newly qualified with no experience and have had problems this year which is why I have been assigned this task. My main problem is that I do not have the necessary time to give this project justice. Our school year begins mid January, which I know is different from your school year but perhaps there is something that you could suggest that I could work on and adapt?

Regards

I e-mailed her for permission to ask you. Can you help? Are there some good online resources and bloggers for Pre K?

I honestly don't know. (And besides this, we've got to all do a better job with linking to the continent of Africa... all of us. If she's asking for help, let's help her for goodness sakes.)

tag: kindergartener, pre k, education, teaching