Monday Monster Printable Madness #60 – Afrikaans – Voltooie My Letter Boek Reeks

Posted on 20/10/2025 by Momma Jo

I grew up in a predominantly Afrikaans area and used to be fully bilingual. I’ve lost a lot of it since moving to Johannesburg and simply not speaking the language. Fortunately being back in my home province has given me the opportunity to get “back to my roots”. I have noticed since I started sharing printables on Monsters Ed, that Afrikaans printables is the most searched for topic. This has inspired me to create my very first range of Afrikaans products! Introducing, the Voltooie My Leter boek Reeks! I do have this series available in English as well: The Complete My Letter Book Series.

This Afrikaans booklet series is sure to keep your baby and toddler busy. Afrikaans doesn’t have many nouns starting with the letter E and Q, hence them “missing” from the series.

The “My Letter Boek Reeks” series comes in individual downloadable PDF files:
Aa, Bb, Dd, Ee, Ff, Gg, Hh, Ii, Jj, Kk, Ll, Mm, Nn, Oo, Pp, Rr, Ss, Tt, Uu, Vv, Ww, Xx, Yy, Zz

Thank you for popping by and don’t miss next week’s introduction of our Afrikaans – Handskrif Aktiwiteitspakket!

If you have any suggestions on printables you’d like to see, please leave a comment below.

Monday Monster Printable Madness #25 – Complete Letter Book Series

Posted on 17/02/2025 by Momma Jo

For parents looking to engage their little ones, the My Letter Book series is an excellent resource that promises to keep babies and toddlers busy while fostering early literacy skills. This delightful collection is designed to introduce young children to the alphabet in a fun and interactive way.

Each booklet in the My Letter Book series focuses on a specific letter, from Aa to Zz, making it easy for children to learn and recognise letters through various activities. The booklets are filled with colourful illustrations and engaging content that capture the attention of young minds. For instance, the My Letter Bb Book features charming images of objects that start with the letter ‘B’, such as balloons, bears, and buses, which not only makes learning enjoyable but also helps children associate letters with sounds and words.

To create a hands-on learning experience, parents can print the pages of each booklet on sturdy cardstock, laminate them for durability, and bind them together. This approach not only enhances the longevity of the materials but also allows for repeated use, making it a cost-effective educational tool. The tactile experience of handling the booklets adds another layer of engagement for toddlers, encouraging them to explore and interact with each letter.

The My Letter Book series is perfect for home learning or classroom settings. It provides a structured yet playful way for children to develop their literacy skills at an early age. As they progress through the alphabet, they will gain confidence in their ability to recognise letters and sounds, setting a solid foundation for future reading and writing.

If you’re seeking an effective way to keep your baby or toddler entertained while also supporting their educational journey, look no further than the My Letter Book series. With its variety of letter-specific booklets, your little ones will be engaged and eager to learn their ABCs!

Thank you for popping by and don’t miss next week’s introduction of our H is for Hot Air Balloon Preschool Mega Activity Pack!

If you have any suggestions on printables you’d like to see, please leave a comment below.

Monday Monster Printable Madness #23 – My Alphabet Book

Posted on 03/02/2025 by Momma Jo

An engaging and educational resource for young learners is essential, and My Alphabet Book is a fantastic way to introduce children to the world of letters. This specially designed book focuses on lowercase letters, making it perfect for preschool and early elementary students who are just beginning to learn the alphabet.

My Alphabet Book encourages children to explore each letter. Each page is dedicated to a specific letter, featuring vibrant illustrations that capture attention and stimulate imagination. Children can trace the letters with their finger, identify objects that start with each letter, and even practice writing them, which reinforces their learning experience. This hands-on approach not only makes learning enjoyable but also helps solidify their understanding of letter shapes and sounds.

One of the standout features of My Alphabet Book is its versatility. It can be used in various educational settings, whether at home or in the classroom. Teachers can incorporate it into their lesson plans as a fun activity during literacy centres, while parents can use it as a supplementary resource to enhance their child’s reading skills at home. The book’s design allows for collaborative learning, where parents and children can engage together in activities that promote literacy.

In addition to aiding in letter recognition, My Alphabet Book fosters essential skills such as phonemic awareness and fine motor development. As children engage with the content, they boost their confidence in their reading abilities. The interactive nature of the book encourages them to take ownership of their learning journey, making each session an adventure.

My Alphabet Book serves as an invaluable tool for fostering early literacy skills. By making learning fun and interactive, it helps children build a strong foundation in reading that will benefit them throughout their educational journey. Whether you are a teacher looking for classroom resources or a parent seeking to support your child’s learning at home, My Alphabet Book is an excellent choice that will make learning the alphabet an enjoyable adventure!

In conclusion, investing in resources like My Alphabet Book is crucial for nurturing a love of reading from an early age. Its engaging format not only captures children’s interest but also lays the groundwork for future academic success. With its colourful illustrations and interactive activities, this alphabet book is sure to become a cherished part of any child’s educational toolkit.

Thank you for popping by and don’t miss next week’s introduction of our Lovebug Tot Mega Activity Pack!

If you have any suggestions on printables you’d like to see, please leave a comment below.

Monday Monster Printable Madness #13 – Happy Thanksgiving Kindergarten Mega Activity Pack

Posted on 25/11/2024 by Momma Jo

In the last of our Thanksgiving printables, our Happy Thanksgiving Kindergarten Mega Activity Pack is designed specifically for young learners, featuring 50 pages of exciting activities that promote creativity and essential skills.

What’s Included in the Pack?
– Colouring Booklet: A delightful booklet filled with Thanksgiving-themed images for children to colour.
– Number Recognition Booklet: Helps kids identify and understand numbers through fun illustrations.
– Shapes Booklet: Introduces basic shapes using festive designs.
– Colour by Number: A creative way to combine art with number skills.
– Do-a-Dot Letter Pages: Two pages for practising letter recognition.
– Letter Writing Practice Sheets: Includes capital and lowercase letter writing skills to enhance handwriting.
– Letter Matching Worksheet: Helps with letter recognition and matching.
– Counting Posters: Two vibrant posters displaying numbers from 1 to 100.
– Jigsaw Puzzles: Two puzzles (25 & 16 pieces) that challenge problem-solving skills.

This pack complements our previous offerings, including the Turkey Time Preschool Mega Activity Pack, which provides engaging activities for younger children, Thanksgiving Kindergarten Mega Activity Pack, and the Happy Thanksgiving Preschool Mega Activity Pack, designed to keep preschoolers entertained while learning. Additionally, we have the Thanksgiving Tot Mega Activity Pack, perfect for toddlers.

Each of these packs encourages exploration of Thanksgiving themes such as gratitude and family while developing essential maths and literacy skills. The Thanksgiving Kindergarten Mega Activity Pack ensures your little ones enjoy both fun and educational experiences this holiday season. Make Thanksgiving memorable with engaging activities that foster a love of learning!

Thank you for popping by and don’t miss next week’s introduction of our first Christmas printable, Christmas Nativity Kindergarten Activity Pack!

If you have any suggestions on printables you’d like to see, please leave a comment below.

Freebie Friday ~ Afrikaans Resources

Posted on 07/10/2022 by Momma Jo

Free Afrikaans Resources

Free Afrikaans resources are incredibly hard to come by. Thanks to the amazing Homeschool community, I am able to share these new freebies. Please reach out to me if you know of any other free Afrikaans resources. The purpose of this series of posts, is to make education accessible to all.

Click on the image above to view the original Afrikaans Resource Freebie Friday post.

The South African Department of Basic Education (DBE) has shared all the CAPS workbooks from Grade R (reception) to Grade 9, including past Grade 12 final exam papers for preparation.

Workbooks
These workbooks have been developed for the children of South Africa under the leadership of the Minister of Basic Education, Mrs Angie Motshekga, and the Deputy Minister of Basic Education, Dr Reginah Mhaule.

The Rainbow Workbooks form part of the Department of Basic Education’s range of interventions aimed at improving the performance of South African learners in the first six grades. As one of the priorities of the Government’s Plan of Action, this project has been made possible by the generous funding of the National Treasury. This has enabled the Department to make these workbooks, in all the official languages, available at no cost.

DBE CAPS Grade R – 9 Printable Workbooks – Books 1 & 2
DBE CAPS Grade R – 9 Printable Workbooks – Books 3 & 4
Afrikaans CAPS workbooks for:
– Literacy
– Life Skills
– Numeracy

DBE Interactive Workbooks
The Department of Basic Education has converted selected pdf workbooks into Interactive workbooks in order to increase the engagement of the literacy and numeracy activities, as well as impart ICT skills.
The interactive workbooks have the ability to respond to learners’ inputs, allowing a TWO-WAY flow of information between the computer and the learner, including instant assessment feedback.
– Grade R Afrikaans Book 1
– Grade R Afrikaans Book 2

Annual National Assessments (Links to the ANAs are on the right side of the screen)
The Annual National Assessments (ANA) are standardised national assessments for languages and mathematics in the senior phase (grades 7 – 9), intermediate phase (grades 4 – 6) and in literacy and numeracy for the foundation phase (grades 1 – 3). The question papers and marking memoranda (exemplars) are supplied by the national Department of Basic Education and the schools manage the conduct of the tests as well as the marking and internal moderation.

The following assessments can be found in Afrikaans:
– Language
– Mathematics

Practical Assessment Tasks (Links to PATs are on the right of the screen)
Assessment in the National Senior Certificate (Grade 12) comprises School-Based Assessment, Practical Assessment Tasks, Language Oral Assessment for official languages and external examinations.

A Practical Assessment Task is a compulsory component of the final promotion mark for all candidates registered for the following National Senior Certificate subjects:
– Agriculture: Agricultural Management Practices and Agricultural Technology;
– Arts: Dance Studies, Design, Dramatic Arts, Music and Visual Arts;
– Languages: Oral mark;
– Technology: Civil Technology, Electrical Technology, Mechanical Technology and Engineering Graphics and Design;
– Life Orientation;
– Computer Sciences: Computer Applications Technology and Information Technology; and
– Services: Consumer Studies, Hospitality Studies and Tourism.

The Practical Assessment Task mark must count 25% of the end-of-year examination mark.

School-Based Assessment
Assessment in the National Senior Certificate (Grade 12) comprises School-Based Assessment, Practical Assessment Tasks, Language Oral Assessment for official languages and external examinations.
Subjects covered:
– Accounting
– Geography
– History
– Life Sciences
– Mathematics
– Physical Science

A School-Based Assessment mark is a compulsory component of the final promotion mark for all candidates registered for the National Senior Certificate and it must count 25% of the final promotion mark in Grade 12.

Mind the Gap Study Guides Grade 12 CAPS Aligned
The Department of Basic Education has pleasure in releasing the second edition of Mind the Gap study guides for Grade 12 learners. These study guides continue the innovative and committed attempt by the Department of Basic Education to improve the academic performance of Grade 12 candidates in the National Senior Certificate (NSC) examination.

The second edition of Mind the Gap is aligned to the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS).
Subject Study Guides in Afrikaans:
– Rekeningkunde (Accounting)
– Ekonomie (Business Economics)
– Lewenswetenskappe (Life Science)
– Geografie (Geography)
– Fisiese Wetenskap Deel 1 Fieika (Physics)
– Fisiese Wetenskap Deel 2 Chemie (Chemistry)
– Wiskunde (Mathematics)
– Wiskundige Geletterdheid (Math Literacy)

NSC Examinations (Links to the previous papers can be found on the right side of the screen) – Previous exam papers (Gr 10, 11 & 12) – 2008 – 2021
The National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations commonly referred to as “Matric” has become an annual event of major public significance. It not only signifies the culmination of twelve years of formal schooling but the NSC examinations is a barometer of the health of the education system.

Curriculum Choices 2018

Posted on 04/04/2018 by Momma Jo

curriculum choices 2018
I’m often asked what our Curriculum Choices are for this year. In short, we follow the Cambridge International Primary Curriculum for our core subjects. We then added a few other programs that suit us and the kidlets’ learning styles. We are currently in our 3rd year of using this curriculum and are very happy with it.
curriculum choices 2018
In addition to the Core Cambridge Primary curriculum, I also purchased the Keys to Learning Boxes for each child. I use them as reinforcement as the kidlets are all visual learners and this has helped us quite a bit to get the concepts ingrained.

“Keys to Learning focuses on basic literacy, numeracy and mathematics skills, and can be used for the consolidation of skills in the mainstream classroom – as well as for remedial work at earlier levels.”
Click on the image below to find out more about the Keys to Learning program.

Koko is currently doing the Stage 5 curriculum. These are the books he is currently working on. We use a combination of Cambridge for the core subjects and the CAPS (the South African curriculum):

English
Teachers Manual

Learners Book

Activity book

Phonics in a Box Workbook. We use this book for dictionary work.

Mathematics
Teachers Manual

Learners Book

Games book

Science
Teachers Manual

Learners Book

Activity book

Life Skills
CAPS Workbook

Afrikaans
CAPS Workbook

Fifi is currently doing the Stage 3 curriculum. These are the books she is currently working on. We use a combination of Cambridge for the core subjects and the CAPS (the South African curriculum):

English
Teachers Manual

Learners Book

Activity book

Phonics in a Box Workbook. We use this book for dictionary work.

Mathematics
Teachers Manual

Learners Book

Games book

Science
Teachers Manual

Learners Book

Activity book

Life Skills
CAPS Workbook

Afrikaans
CAPS Workbook

Pixie is currently doing the Stage 1 curriculum. These are the books she is currently working on. We use a combination of Cambridge for the core subjects and the CAPS (the South African curriculum):

English
Teachers Manual

Learners Book

Activity book

Phonics Workbook B. She completed Workbook A last year.

Phonics in a Box Workbook.

Mathematics
Teachers Manual

Learners Book

Games book

Science
Teachers Manual

Learners Book

Activity book

Life Skills
CAPS Workbook

Afrikaans
CAPS Workbook

The girls are currently using the Rainbow Reading Curriculum.

“Rainbow Reading is a graded reading series for primary schools. It provides a wealth of original stories and factual texts, which will help learners to develop the reading skills and vocabulary they need to meet the requirements of the curriculum in all learning areas. All 350 titles in the series are written by South African authors. Rainbow Reading motivates young readers to become fluent readers, because it allows them to choose stories that they want to read and to read at their own level.”

Fifi is currently using Rainbow Reading Level 3.

“The books in Level 3 can be used in any grade in the Foundation Phase, but they are best suited to seven- to nine-year-old learners in Grade 2 or Grade 3. Many of the learners will be learning English as a First Additional Language. Most children at this level have started to read and some may be reading quite well already. They should be able to recognise sight words and decode unfamiliar words.

Level 3 Rainbow Reading books are 16 pages long. The stories are based on familiar objects and actions and the characters include children typical of those in the target age group. The artwork is a very important part of each text at this level, as it supports reading and helps the emerging readers to make sense of the stories. The artwork provides cludes, which help the readers to decode and recognise words. Text is consistently placed to help learners to become confident about reading books.

There are three types of texts at this level:

Read Aloud stories (fiction) 250-400 total words
Read Alone stories (fiction) 250-400 total words
Factual (non-fiction) texts 250-400 total words
Each boxed set in Level 3 contains a comprehensive teacher’s guide, which provides valuable support for teaching reading and book skills, and includes specific support for each title, including phonics, oral skills, high-frequency words and key oral vocabulary, as well as suggested activities.”

Pixie is currently using Rainbow Reading Level 1/.

“The books in Rainbow Reading Level 1 can be used in any grade in the Foundation Phase, but they are best suited to five- and six-year-old learners in Grade R or Grade 1. Many of the learners will be learning English as a First Additional Language. Most children at this level will not be able to read by themselves in any language, and some of the children will be handling books for the first time.

Level 1 Rainbow Reading books are eight pages long. The stories are based on familiar objects and actions and the characters include children typical of those in the target age group. The artwork is very important part of each text at this level, as it supports reading and helps the emerging readers to make sense of the stories. The pictures tell the story. Text is consistently placed to help learners become confident about reading books.

There are three types of texts at this level:

Read Aloud stories (fiction) Maximum 50 words
Read Alone stories (fiction) Maximum 20 words
Factual (non-fiction) texts Maximum 20 words
Each boxed set in Level 1 contains a comprehensive teacher’s guide, which provides valuable support for teaching reading skills, and includes specific support for each title, including phonics, oral skills, high-frequency words and key oral vocabulary, as well as suggested activities.”

History is a group lesson here. We use the Story of the World curriculum and love it. We work through each chapter thoroughly and have sometimes spent a month on a chapter that may only be 2 pages long. I let the children drive this part of our lessons as they generally ask a ton of more indepth questions than I expect.

Each Friday, the kidlets do a research project, these often take up to 3 weeks to complete (depending on the work). They choose the topic and we work together to get all the information for them. They then create a poster of all they have learned. So far we have learned about the food pyramid, the importance of vitamins and kangaroos. Our next project is Fifi’s choice.

One of the first questions we get asked is, “Do your children do exams and assessments?” The easy answer is yes. I download the Annual National Assessments from the Department of Basic Education’s website. The kidlets do them and I mark them. I have these on hand should we ever need them for some reason.

“The Annual National Assessments (ANA) are standardised national assessments for languages and mathematics in the senior phase (grades 7 – 9), intermediate phase (grades 4 – 6) and in literacy and numeracy for the foundation phase (grades 1 – 3). The question papers and marking memoranda (exemplars) are supplied by the national Department of Basic Education and the schools manage the conduct of the tests as well as the marking and internal moderation.”

With regards to exams, we don’t do official exams. The kidlets are assessed as to their knowledge during each lesson, if they don’t understand the concept of the lesson, we don’t move on. That is one HUGE benefit of homeschooling. Once all the work for the year has been completed, we move onto the next grade.

I also often get asked about the legalities of homeschooling in South Africa. I am not a lawyer and don’t pretend to have the answers. My suggestion is that you visit the Pestalozzi Trust website. They have all the information available to the public.