Year 4 News
Literacy
This week, students have been learning about a range of grammatical concepts, including homophones and connectives. They have been practising writing complex sentences to demonstrate their understanding of different sets of homophones.
Students are also exploring how text connectives help sequence and link ideas within writing. They have been introduced to more sophisticated connectives such as alternatively, however, furthermore, in addition, and moreover. It has been wonderful to see students applying these new skills in their writing tasks.
Paired Reading
This term, our students have been developing their reading skills through Paired Reading activities in the classroom.
Paired reading is when two students read together. Students take turns reading aloud, helping each other with tricky words and discussing the meaning of the text as they read. Working with a partner encourages students to become active, supportive and confident readers.
Paired reading supports many areas of literacy development, including:
Fluency – reading more smoothly and accurately
Expression – using appropriate tone and phrasing
Decoding – working out unfamiliar words
Comprehension – understanding and discussing texts
Confidence – building positive reading habits and independence
Students have enjoyed working collaboratively with their peers and encouraging one another as readers. These sessions also help strengthen listening skills, communication and teamwork.
You can support paired reading at home by taking turns reading with your child, discussing new vocabulary and talking about the ideas in the story together. Even a few minutes of shared reading each day can make a big difference to your child’s confidence and enjoyment of reading.
We are proud of the enthusiasm and effort our students are showing during literacy sessions and look forward to continuing to build strong reading habits throughout the year.
Text Study
Year 4 students have begun a new class novel, The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo. So far, students have explored new vocabulary, including words such as honour and council, and examined how dialogue helps readers better understand characters and their relationships.
This week, students investigated how ongoing dialogue reveals the developing connection between Despereaux and Princess Pea. They were then asked to predict future conversations between the characters and present their ideas in a play-script format.
Once again, we have been so pleased with the students’ enthusiasm and engagement during our text study sessions.
Maths
In Maths, students have continued learning about Australian money, with a particular focus on developing strategies for calculating change. They have been using number lines to support their understanding and improve their accuracy when working with money problems.
Students are showing growing confidence in applying these strategies to real-life situations.
Inquiry
Last week, each Year 4 class became experts on a different rainforest ecosystem. Class 4A explored the Congo Rainforest, 4B investigated the Amazon Rainforest, and 4C learnt about the Southeast Asian Rainforest.
To share their learning, students researched and recorded interesting facts about their rainforest, including information about its climate, location, flora, and fauna. They then created informative fact cards to present to the other Year 4 classes. These fact cards will soon be displayed on our world map in the Great Space.
This week, students will continue their inquiry by exploring the threats facing rainforests around the world and discussing actions people can take to help protect these important environments.