In Year 4, pupils will be working towards the objectives detailed on this page. There are a number of things that you can do to support your child at home. Details can be found within each subject area below.
ENGLISH
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LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Reading
- Apply their growing knowledge of root words, prefixes and suffixes to read aloud and understand the meaning of new words they meet
- Read a range of fiction, poetry, plays and non-fiction texts
- Re-tell stories orally
- Perform poems and play scripts, showing understanding through intonation and action
- Infer characters’ feelings though their actions, justifying their inference with evidence
- Identify main ideas drawn and summarise these
Writing
- Understand how to spell words with a variety of prefixes and suffixes
- Use the possessive apostrophe in words with regular plurals
- Use a wider range of connectives (when, before, after, while, so, because)
- Start using inverted commas to punctuate speech
- Use fronted adverbials with commas (for example: Cautiously, she opened the door…)
- Become more confident in joining their handwriting, increasing its legibility and quality
- Create settings, characters and plot in narratives using a range of descriptive language
- Use paragraphs to organise ideas around a theme
- Assess and improve their writing
THINGS TO TRY AT HOME
Reading
- Bedtime stories are still important – choose something which may be a little tricky for your child to read themselves
- Take an interest in what your child reads and encourage them to explain why they like a certain book or author
- If you have a reluctant reader, try something which is funny, such as a comic or joke book
- Be a role model – let them see you reading!
Writing
- When you are away, encourage your child to send postcards to their friends, or help them find a penpal
- Suggest your child keeps a diary, writing a little every day, or tries another fun writing activity
- If your child loves writing stories, look out for competitions for young writers.
SUGGESTED READING BOOKS
- Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll
- Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters – John Steptoe
- The Firework Maker’s Daughter – Philip Pullman
- The Iron Man – Ted Hughes
- Stig of the Dump – Clive King
- Swallows and Amazons – Arthur Ransome
- Brother Eagle, Sister Sky – Susan Jeffers
- The Reluctant Dragon – Kenneth Grahame
- The Chocolate Touch – Patrick Skene Catling
- The Demon Headmaster – Gillian Cross
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MATHS
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LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Numbers and place value
- Counting in steps of 6, 7, 9, 25 and 1000
- Recognising place value of each digit in a four-digit number
- Counting backwards through zero to include negative numbers
- Rounding any number to the nearest 10, 100 or 1000
Calculating
- Adding and subtracting with numbers up to four digits using column addition and subtraction
- Knowing multiplication facts for all times tables up to 12 x 12
- Multiplying three-digit numbers by one-digit numbers
Fractions and decimals
- Finding fractions of quantities (for example: 2/6 of 48)
- Understanding equivalence between fractions and decimals
- Dividing one-digit and two-digit numbers by 10 and 100
- Rounding decimals with one decimal place to the nearest whole number
Measuring
- Converting between units of measurement
- Working out the perimeter and area of shapes
- Calculating with amounts of money
- Telling and writing the time using the 12-hour and 24-hour clock
- Solving problems involving converting between units of time
Geometry
- Classifying different types of triangles and quadrilaterals
- Recognising acute and obtuse angles
- Identifying lines of symmetry in 2D shapes
- Plotting coordinates in the first quadrant
- Translating shapes up/down and left/right
Statistics
- Interpreting and presenting data in bar charts and line graphs
- Solving comparison, sum and difference problems using information presented in bar charts, pictograms and tables
THINGS TO TRY AT HOME
- Keep on with the times tables – automatic recall really does help at school and with homework. Practise in the car or on the way to school, set your child a challenge, play times tables games and, if necessary, offer a small reward as motivation.
- If your child has weekly pocket money, encourage them to save and work out how much they will have after two, three or four weeks.
- Go on a walk and give your child a compass so they can keep track of your direction.
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SCIENCE
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LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Living things and their habitats
- Use classification keys to group living things
- Recognise that environments can change and this can pose dangers
Animals, including humans
- Describe the functions of the digestive system in humans
- Identify types of teeth in humans and their simple functions
- Interpret food chains, naming producers, predators and prey
States of matter
- Classify materials as solids, liquids or gases
- Observe that materials change state when they are heated or cooled
- Understand evaporation and condensation as part of the water cycle
Sound
- Understand how sounds are made through vibrations
- Look at how pitch and volume can be altered
Electricity
- Understand how a circuit is made up of cells, wires, bulbs, switches and buzzers
- Recognise some common conductors and insulators
THINGS TO TRY AT HOME
- Look at your teeth in the mirror. You will notice that they are all different shapes and sizes. Why do you think this is? Think about how your teeth help you to break down food. How do the different shapes and sizes help to do this?
- With adult supervision heat some butter in one pan and some chocolate in another. What happens to them as they heat? Now put each one in a small dish and put it in the fridge. What do you think will happen?
- If you have any musical instruments in the house, have a go at playing them. Objects need to vibrate to make sounds. How is each instrument vibrating?
- Go to the library and see if you can find any books on food chains, the water cycle or electricity. Now you can impress your class with your background knowledge when you get back to school!
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