The Story Thread
Integrating the Arts into the Curriculum
The Flow of Making Sense
A special note from your coach
Repeating Challenges
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All too often, when I visit schools for student assessments, I notice the same challenges repeating themselves.
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Teachers are under immense pressure, and with crowded classrooms, limited time & resources, it can feel impossible to fit in Life Skills, Drama, or group work.
I Am Not An Expert!
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You don’t need to be an arts expert to teach through the arts.
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Many teachers believe that bringing the arts into their lessons requires professional training in music, drama, or visual art. This is not true.
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In the Foundation Phase, the arts are about expression, imagination, movement & connection, not polished performances.
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Tools like rhythm, drawing, storytelling, role-play, and song are enough to bring learning alive.
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What matters most is creating space for learners to explore, express, and collaborate—process vs product.
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When used as the golden thread, the arts do not add extra work—they enrich what you are already teaching.
The How2 of what Uknow How!
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This is not about discarding what teachers are already doing.
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It is about offering a recipe that is simple, practical, and deeply human.
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It is a way to bring the curriculum to life so that both teachers and learners rediscover the joy of education.
Too Many Worksheets!
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Many schools lean heavily on worksheets and departmental workbooks, which often leaves children sitting at their desks, listening passively, and completing tasks in silence.
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It is no surprise that behaviour then begins to unravel—not because learners don’t want to learn, but because they are longing for movement, creativity, and connection.
The Curriculum Flow
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With the golden thread of story and the binding power of socio-emotional Learning, the curriculum begins to flow naturally.
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A Home Language lesson blends seamlessly with Life Skills; Mathematics finds meaning inside a story; Social Sciences and the Arts give depth and colour.
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Group work no longer feels disruptive, but instead becomes a lifeline for collaboration, creativity, and joy.
Bringing Stories to life!
Bringing stories to life is more than just teaching content — it’s about creating a classroom that breathes, moves, and feels like a living storybook.