Year 4 Term Overview

Dear Year 4 Families,

Welcome back to school for 2022! The Year 4 students have had a smooth return to school and we are excited for the year ahead.

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

4A - Sharnie

4B - Jess

4C - Gerry

4D - Jem

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. 

This term in Reading, we will investigate fictional texts and their purposes, sub genres within the overarching fiction genre, structure 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 through describing and comparing a variety of shapes and developing the necessary vocabulary. During our unit on area and length, we will explore how to estimate before measuring and use metric units.  Also, students will investigate how to interpret the scale, legends and directions on basic maps.

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.

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. 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 what makes a good learning partner, the wheel of choice and control signals (which provide strategies to settle disagreements), and 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 Civics and Citizenship with the driving question, How can we participate and share responsibility as an active citizen within our community? Through this inquiry,  your child will research the local government and what it means to be an active democratic citizen. We will further investigate our community and council area of Wyndham, its many facilities (e.g. sporting clubs, parks, library, etc.), and why we participate in our community. Your child will share how they currently participate in the community and will explore other opportunities that are available to them. Year 4 students will take action by creating a plan of how they will have a positive impact in our community and then implement it in the final weeks of this term.

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 and Reading Eggs are extremely valuable resources to help your child practise their reading.

Learning Goals - Your child’s individualised learning goals are 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. 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.

Year 4 Team