Life Skills in Grade 4 is a broad subject that combines three distinct components: Beginning Knowledge and Personal and Social Wellbeing, Creative Arts, and Physical Education. Together they develop the whole learner — intellectually, creatively, socially and physically. The Beginning Knowledge component covers personal health, safety, relationships and the environment. Creative Arts develops visual art, music, drama and dance skills. Physical Education builds physical fitness, team skills and an understanding of movement.
- Personal identity: who am I? — strengths, values, interests
- Relationships: family, friends, community — roles and responsibilities
- Healthy lifestyle: nutrition, exercise, rest and hygiene
- Road safety and personal safety rules
- Creative Arts — Visual Art: drawing and painting using line, shape and colour
- Creative Arts — Music: rhythm, beat, tempo — clap and sing
- Physical Education: locomotor movements — running, jumping, hopping
- Ball skills: catching, throwing, kicking
- Emotions: identifying, naming and managing feelings
- Peer pressure: recognising and responding assertively
- Drug, alcohol and tobacco awareness — health risks
- My community: local services, roles and responsibilities
- Creative Arts — Drama: freeze, mime and role play
- Creative Arts — Dance: movement to music, body awareness
- Physical Education: non-locomotor movements — bending, twisting, stretching
- Athletics: running, jumping for distance and height
- Environmental awareness: pollution, conservation, recycling
- Human rights and responsibilities — everyone belongs
- Cultural diversity in South Africa — celebrating differences
- Creative Arts — Visual Art: collage, clay and 3D construction
- Creative Arts — Music: simple songs and action songs
- Physical Education: games skills — striking, fielding
- Team games: rules, fair play and cooperation
- Physical fitness: flexibility, strength and endurance activities
- Revision: personal safety, healthy choices, emotions and community
- Creative Arts — performance: share and present creative work
- Creative Arts — Music: play simple percussion instruments
- Physical Education: gymnastics — rolling, balancing and jumping sequences
- Outdoor games and small-sided team games
- Goal setting: personal growth targets for Grade 5
- Life skills revision: making good choices in different situations
- Celebrating achievements — individual and group
For written tests — learn key vocabulary. Life Skills tests often ask you to define terms like 'peer pressure', 'assertive', 'nutrition' and 'conservation'. Learn the correct definitions and practise using them in sentences.
Creative Arts assessments reward effort and process. In visual art and music, teachers assess your effort, creativity and understanding of concepts as much as the final product. Engage fully and explain your thinking.
Physical Education is assessed practically. PE marks come from participation and correct technique. Attend every lesson, try your best and listen carefully to instructions on how to perform each skill correctly.
Link Life Skills to your real life. The best way to remember content is to connect it to your own experience. When you study emotions, think about a time you felt that way. When you study safety rules, think about your journey to school.