Koala (Year 4)
Autumn Term 1
I hope that you all had a relaxing and safe six weeks holiday and are ready for the new school term! I am really excited to be meeting and teaching you all :). This year, the children will have Mrs Walker, Mr Murray and Mrs Anderson (mornings). On a Tuesday morning, Mrs Corner will be teaching core topics, such as spellings, grammar and writing skills. We have so much to get through this year and will be starting as we mean to go on!
English:
In English this term, we will be reading a picture book, called 'The King who Banned the Dark': the new young king is frightened of the dark, so on day one of his reign, he decides he'll ban it. The dark is banished and because everyone has got what they thought they wanted, everyone is happy. Until, of course, they realise what living in constant light is really like.
We will be focusing on: writing a letter; journalistic writing; writing a newspaper report; writing a balanced argument; writing a speech and writing our own narrative.
Grammar topics will be taught once a week as a discrete lesson and as starters five times a week. This term, we will be looking at concepts from year 4, including: nouns; pronouns; compound words; adverbs to express time and cause; possessive pronouns and fronted adverbials.
Finally, spellings will be taught three times a week both in the morning and after lunch, with all practising and testing completed within school. We will be looking at the year 3 and 4 spelling words, which are posted below.
Maths:
In maths this term, children will be working through the Place Value unit and Addition and Subtraction unit of White Rose Maths. This includes: representing numbers to 1000 and 10000; partitioning numbers; using number lines; Roman numerals; rounding to the nearest 10, 100 and 1000; add and subtracting four digit numbers; estimating numbers. In lessons, children will have the opportunity to practise the 'fluency' of each concept before moving onto reasoning and problem solving.
Each week, the class will get a chance to use Times Tables Rock Stars at school, as mental calculations are so important in all aspects of maths! Children can also use this website at home to develop their efficiency and accuracy in times tables.
Topic - Geography: Ancient Egyptians;
Science: States of Matter;
Computing: Computer Systems and Networks - the Internet
Art: Canopic jars and lids (children need to remember to bring in an old t-shirt or apron);
RE: What does it mean to be a Hindu in Britain today?
PSHE: Being Me (goals and aspirations);
French: Presenting Myself;
Music: Violins/ Charanga.
PE will take place twice a week: Monday with Mr Dickinson and Tuesday in Term 1 will be cricket in the morning. Children need to wear their PE kits on these days. Forest School will take place regularly throughout the term: a list of dates will be made available as and when required.
Homework will be sent home on a Thursday to be returned to school the following Thursday to be marked as a whole class. The children should complete their work in their homework book. Homework will be arithmetic or calculations practice and reading comprehension. All homework is discussed with the children before they take it home. However, if your child is unsure what to do, please encourage them to ask the class teacher for help before it is due in.
The children should all be reading regularly at home, particularly if they are not confident readers. It is useful if children are discussing their reading with an adult to develop their comprehension and discussion skills and filling in their reading records with comments about what they are reading. The children are welcome to bring in a suitable reading book from home if they wish.
Mathematics
- https://ttrockstars.com/ - Remember to look in your home learning books if you cannot remember your login.
- http://www.snappymaths.com/year6/ - Range of different worksheets to complete.
- Maths at Home - Oxford Owl for Home
Reading
- https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/for-home/find-a-book/library-page/ A free e-book library for all primary age children.
- https://www.teachyourmonstertoread.com/ A free game for children who would benefit from additional practice of phonics, segmenting and blending. The children love it!
- Books for Year 4 children aged 8-9 | School Reading List A list of books recommended for 10 and 11-year-olds. If required, look at both the year 5 and year 7 lists for decreased or increased ability.
Writing and spellings, grammar and punctuation (GPS)
- https://www.pobble365.com/ - Fantastic resources for creative writing with questions relating to a daily image.
- https://www.literacyshed.com/home.html - A wide range of resources to complement creative writing.
Topic
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rz0go1pTda8 Watch and join in with PE with Joe Wickes, the Body Coach, live on YouTube daily to help keep you active.
- https://explorify.wellcome.ac.uk/activities - Science experiments that can be completed at home, linked by topic. Why not try electricity or light experiments?
- https://www.stem.org.uk/ - A range of different activities to complete at home.