Year 4 Term 1 Overviews

Womenjeka Year 4 Families!

Welcome back to school for 2024! The Year 4 students have had a smooth return to school and we are excited for the year ahead.

This year we have eight Year 4 classes and the teachers are: 

4A - Linda

4B - Shanelle

4C - Victor

4D - Gabby

4E -  Steph

4F - Tim

4G - Kelcey

4H- Nathanael

Curriculum:

Literacy 

Reading  and writing will complement each other with a focus on narrative writing and reading and comprehending fictional text. We endeavour to build your child’s vocabulary to use synonyms for commonly used words. 

This term in Reading, we will investigate texts (fiction and non-fiction) and their purposes, as well as explore sub-genres and their structures and text features. We will use a variety of texts to allow your child ample opportunities to compare and make connections between texts. Through regular modelling and practise of comprehension strategies such as summarising, inferring, analysing and critiquing, students will gain a deeper understanding of the texts they are reading. We will build on your child’s skills of decoding (solving the words) and fluency (notice and using punctuation to make meaning) through individual reading conferences and guided reading sessions. To support the development of reading, students will engage in daily independent reading, and regular guided reading sessions and reading conferences.

This term in writing, Year 4 students will be exploring how to write a narrative, imaginary as well as factual through the use of 6+1 Writing Traits. We will begin with finding ideas by setting up our Writer’s Notebook and using the funnel analogy to add details to ideas in preparation for writing. The traits of organisation, voice and word choice will help your child to produce creative pieces of writing, improve their vocabulary and take risks in their writing. There will be a constant focus on conventions (spelling, grammar, punctuation) and presentation throughout this term. Each week, students will 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

This term, Year 4 students will make connections to maths in their everyday lives with a focus on chance and data. Your child will be explicitly taught the vocabulary required and the difference between an everyday event and a practical activity (that they have control over). Students will collect data and present it by creating tables, column graphs and picture graphs.

We will also investigate the properties of 2D shapes and 3D objects through describing and comparing their geometric features and developing the necessary vocabulary. During our unit on area and length, we will explore how to estimate before measuring and use metric units.  Finally, students will build on their place value knowledge as we explore numbers up to five digits, and how we partition and rearrange them to solve problems.

Throughout the year, the Year 4 students will have an ongoing focus on multiplicative thinking - our ‘big idea’. This will build their understanding of flexible strategies and number properties by exploring number patterns and developing efficient mental and written problem solving strategies.We are running number sense workshops regularly to allow students to practise multiplicative thinking through a variety of maths games while teachers undertake individual student conferences to assess and communicate goals.

SEL

Our SEL program consists of the PATHS program, Respectful Relationships and teaching to your child’s social and emotional needs as they arise. This term, your child’s SEL learning will be centred on emotional literacy and personal strengths. We are using the Zones of Regulation to communicate feelings and recognise when self-regulation is required. We will explore a range of strategies for self-regulation with our students and then they will reflect on what strategies are most effective for them. 

As part of the PATHS program, we will continue to do PATHS Kid this year with a new PATHS Kid each day and students will be given the opportunity to give and receive compliments from their classmates. The PATHS Kid will also give themselves a compliment as we build your child’s capacity to recognise their personal strengths. To support the transition back to school, we will also explore how to uphold the school expectations of striving for excellence, respect and being safe as well as the school values (teamwork, integrity, respect, kindness, learning).

Inquiry  

This term, Year 4 students will be exploring Identity, creativity and wellbeing with the driving statement, Understanding yourself gives you insight into understanding others. Through this inquiry,  your child will examine influences that strengthen identities. We will describe the connections they have to their community and how these can promote health and wellbeing. Questioning and sharing students’wondering is encouraged in our classroom and this will shape our inquiry’s direction. Year 4 students will take action by creating a plan of how they will have a positive impact using the knowledge they have obtained throughout the term and then implement it in the final weeks of this term.

BYOD Program

Last year the School Council made the decision to extend the BYOD program to Year 3/4 in 2024. The digital curriculum for Years 3-6 includes the development of a range of IT skills from coding to research to presentation. Having the time and opportunity to build children’s understanding systematically and with intent supports the students using laptops in a controlled environment where skills are taught responsibly and in a timely manner. 

The students will learn to use Google Drive/Classroom; access their work, save and store documents and have access to their work both at school and remotely. This gives parents the opportunity to see their work, development and progress at any time. Part of the program will be dedicated to learning about how to manage looking after their devices, use them responsibly in the online spaces and manage their time when using electronic devices. The curriculum program is a balanced one, utilising both the online space and hands on resources for optimum learning opportunities. 

Thank you so much to those parents who have already provided a device for their child. Students do not need to have a new or expensive laptop. Many students are using an older device and a number of families have invested in inexpensive devices. There will be plans in place for students with individual circumstances, however we do encourage each student having their own. You can contact your child’s teacher if you have any further questions around devices.

Ways to Help Your Child At Home:

Home Reading - We have started our Home Reading program. The expectation is for your child to read 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. We will have take home books available as well as Wushka and books borrowed from the library. Home Reading is meant for enjoyment and for your child to practise their reading strategies, and should not be a challenging task for your child. 

SMART Spelling - Each week students will write their 5 SMART Spelling words in their Home Learning books to practise. They also have a spelling activity rubric with tasks that they can do to practise their spelling words.

Maths Games - To practise 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.

Learning Goals - Your child’s individualised learning goals will be listed on Compass (starting at the end of Week 5). There is a reading goal, a maths goal, a writing goal and an Inquiry or SEL (social and emotional learning) goal for your child. Please read these and support your child by going through the suggested strategies to help at home. These goals are changed every five weeks (twice a term), and you will also be informed of your child’s achievement of these goals.

We look forward to working with you and your child this year. Please contact your child’s teacher if you have any questions or concerns. 

Year 4 Team