Learning in Year 4

Welcome Back to Term 2!

Welcome back to Term 2. It has been wonderful to see the students return to school after the Easter break. The Year 4 teachers have been busy planning a range of fun and engaging activities across all subject areas, and we are looking forward to a fantastic term of learning.

Literacy

We have begun our persuasive writing unit, and the students have shown great enthusiasm during our classroom discussions. We are using the OREO structure (Opinion, Reason, Explanation, Opinion restated) to help students organise their ideas. Ask your child if they can use this structure to persuade you with reasons about different topics.

We are also looking forward to learning Spalding cursive, which will support students in developing their writing fluency.

Our Class Novel for this term is The BFG where we will use this to support our comprehension skills and refine our summarising skills.

Maths

In Mathematics, students will be developing their understanding of time by learning how to tell the time and apply units of time to solve real-world problems. They will also build on their knowledge of fractions by making connections to decimals. As part of this, students will explore how decimals are used in everyday contexts such as money, and practise rounding numbers to specified place values.

Ways you can help at home:

For time, involve your child in daily routines. Ask questions like, “What time do we need to leave?” or “How long until dinner?” Cooking is also a great opportunity—have them read the clock, set timers, or work out how much time has passed.

When planning outings, you might ask them to estimate travel time or calculate how long an activity will take.

Money is one of the best real-life ways to practise decimals. When shopping, encourage your child to read prices, add simple amounts, or estimate the total cost. You might ask questions like, “If this costs $3.50 and I pay with $5, how much change should I get?” or have them round prices to the nearest dollar to estimate totals.

Integrated

Our integrated topic this term is Roots, Shoots and Muddy Boots. This term, we are exploring the concept of sustainable food. Some of the key elements we will be investigating include:

How different foods are grown in various regions, including their growing patterns and rates.
How different climates impact food production.
The difference between naturally produced and manufactured foods, including organic and non-organic options.
How we can apply sustainable food practices in our everyday lives.

Wellbeing

In Wellbeing, we will be exploring Topic 3: Positive Coping from the Respectful Relationships program. Students will engage in a range of games and activities to discuss coping strategies, identify ways to manage big emotions, and learn how to calm angry feelings. They will also practise making meaningful apologies when mistakes have occurred.