Year 4 Term 2 Overviews

Year 4 Curriculum Newsletter

Nǐ hǎo (hello) Year 4 Families!

Womenjeka (Welcome) back to school for Term 2 in 2025! The Year 4 students have transitioned successfully back into learning routines. Please continue to speak to your child about moving safely up and down the many stairways, and also using the designated crosswalks around the school before and after school times.

This term we will continue our Specialist focus areas which are: PE, Performing Arts, Mandarin and Visual Arts.

Later this term on the 23rd of June, we will also be going on an excursion to the Melbourne Museum as part of our Inquiry unit! Payment closes on the 10th of June. We would love for your child to come along!

Curriculum:

Literacy

During Literacy this term, we will focus on Persuasive texts. We will have a strong focus on building student’s vocabulary across Literacy, Numeracy, SEL and Inquiry, and will immerse them in a wide range of fiction and non-fiction texts. 

This term in Reading, we are exploring different types of persuasive texts whilst we continue investigating fiction and non-fiction texts and their purposes, structure and text features. We will use a variety of texts to allow your child ample opportunities to compare and contrast the themes and big ideas within a text. This will build on students' ability to analyse why authors make specific choices and the effect this has on the reader. Through regular modelling and practice of comprehension strategies such as summarising, inferring, analysing and critiquing, students will gain a deeper understanding of the texts they are reading. Within reading lessons, we will develop our understanding of how and why author’s make specific choices when they create a text. Students will be looking at the structure of a text, and what effect it has on the reader. They will identify the purpose and audience of these texts and also analyse how the author includes language and text features to keep us engaged in the text. 

This term in Writing, Year 4 students will be exploring how to write and structure different types of persuasive texts, such as essays, letters and debates. They will learn to write strong arguments using: strong language, emotive words, rhetorical questions and other persuasive devices.  Students will also go through the writing process, planning, researching, drafting, editing and publishing. They will continue to develop their knowledge around the 6+1 writing traits, with a particular focus on Ideas, Organisation, Word Choice, Sentence Fluency and Voice. There will be a constant focus on conventions, (spelling, grammar, punctuation) and presentation throughout this term. Each week, students will continue to engage in SMART Spelling as well as handwriting practice to help improve their understanding of spelling patterns and letter formation in preparation for a pen licence. 

Numeracy

Year 4 students will make connections to maths in their everyday lives across all learning areas this term, with a focus on problem solving. Multiplicative thinking is a focus that we continue to develop to support your students' fluency with multiplication facts. This term we will be learning about place value, additive thinking, and investigating the properties of odd and even numbers. Students will be introduced to the concept of the decimal notation through the lens of financial maths. Students will focus on solving purchasing problems and calculating the change to the nearest five cents. Following, students will connect this knowledge to their understanding of fractions. They will learn the concept of ‘parts of the whole’ and equivalent fractions. Lastly, we will investigate Mass, Capacity and Temperature to build on their knowledge of comparing objects with different metric units. 

SEL

Our SEL program consists of Respectful Relationships, Berry Street and teaching to your child’s social and emotional needs as they arise. This term, our SEL unit will focus around respect, collaboration and positive relationships, and conflict resolution. We will be looking into what respect looks like for a range of people, collaborating with others and what fosters a positive relationship. We will be exploring different perspectives, and that these can sometimes cause conflict, and strategies to support this. Additionally, the Grade 4’s have been chosen to partake in the Active Kids program which is designed by Wyndham City to encourage healthy eating habits and increased physical activity. This will encourage your child to make healthier choices and also deepen their knowledge through in-school activities focusing on this. 

Inquiry 

This term, Inquiry is a fantastic time for all students to become critical thinkers and be curious. Year 4 students will be exploring History and the driving statement, “ Over time, human exploration has had a significant impact”. Through this Inquiry, students will research and explore Australia’s first people and their connection to country and land, the impact of the first fleet, significant events and people, and also the significance and meaning of celebrations, emblems and symbols.

Ways to Help Your Child At Home:

Home Reading - We have started our Home Reading program. The expectation is for your child to read their take home book 5 nights a week, answer some comprehension questions that a family member asks them and record the title, date and a comment in the green reading journal themselves. Take home books are for enjoyment and for your child to practise their reading strategies, and are not meant to be a challenging task for your child. In addition to the Home Reading program, Wushka is extremely valuable resources to help your child practise their reading.

IXL- IXL is a great online resource for both Literacy and Numeracy skills, where students can practice at home. From a diagnostic assessment completed at school, students are given carefully selected tasks and activities suited directly to the level where they are at. Students can use what they have learnt at school and revise/practice this same skill at home on IXL!

Maths Games - To practice our multiplicative thinking, students can play maths games at home. You can find a range of games on the Love Maths website - https://www.lovemaths.me/ - or ask your child to teach you a game that they play in their number sense workshops.

We look forward to continuing working and building relationships with both you and your child this year. Please contact your child’s teacher if you have any questions or concerns. After school is best for a quick chat, otherwise send your child’s teacher an email to set up an appointment time for a longer chat.

Xièxiè (Thank you) from the Grade 4 Teachers,Year 4 Team 

Natalie, Madi G, Shanelle, Emily, Natasha, Mugdha, Maddy C, Sandra, Victor and Linda