Year 4 News
Autumn 1 Term
What a fantastic first half term Year 4 have had! The children have worked incredibly hard across all areas of the curriculum and should be very proud of everything they have achieved.
English
During English, we have been developing our writing skills by exploring different sentence types, including compound and complex sentences. We enjoyed reading The Winter’s Child by Angela McAllister, which inspired us to explore wintery settings. We discussed the advantages and disadvantages of winter and used expanded noun phrases to describe snowy landscapes and create vivid images for our readers.
We then explored The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry. We discovered fascinating facts about the Amazon rainforest, why it is so important to our planet and the incredible animals that call it home. Using our new knowledge, we wrote detailed setting descriptions, applying a range of sentence types and descriptive vocabulary to bring the rainforest to life.
Mathematics
In Maths, we have been focusing on place value. We have learnt to recognise the value of each digit in a number, order numbers and find 10, 100 and 1,000 more or less than a given number. We have also been developing our understanding of rounding numbers. Alongside this, we continue to work hard on learning our multiplication facts and improving our fluency using Times Tables Rock Stars (TTRS). The children have done amazingly well so far, and we are very proud of their efforts!
Science
In Science, we have been exploring materials and their properties. We investigated different methods of separating mixtures and learnt about dissolving and how solutions are formed. We also welcomed a local dental practice, Minty, who delivered an informative session about oral health. This linked brilliantly with our learning about teeth and the importance of looking after them.
Geography
Our Geography learning has focused on the Amazon rainforest. We have explored who uses the rainforest and why it is so important to people, wildlife and the planet. We have also discussed the reasons why this incredible environment needs to be protected and considered how human activity can affect it.
Art
In Art, we have been developing our drawing skills by exploring perspective and shading. We practised using different techniques to add depth and detail to our work before creating our own compositions, applying the skills we had learnt.
PSHE
In PSHE, we have been learning how to recognise and communicate our feelings. We have used the Zones of Regulation to help us understand our emotions and explored the feeling of jealousy, discussing how we can recognise and manage it in ourselves and others.
Year 4 have made a brilliant start to the school year! We are so proud of their enthusiasm, hard work and willingness to learn across the curriculum. We look forward to another exciting half term after the break. Have a wonderful half-term holiday!
How to Help at Home
To support your child’s learning over the half-term break, please try to practise the following skills at home:
Times Tables: Practise all times tables regularly using Times Tables Rock Stars (TTRS) to improve speed, accuracy and fluency.
Spellings Learn and practise weekly spellings to build confidence and improve spelling accuracy in writing.
Reading Encourage your child to read as often as possible. Discuss the books they are reading, ask questions about the story and explore any unfamiliar vocabulary.
Telling the Time: Practise reading the time accurately using both analogue and digital clocks. Encourage your child to calculate how long activities last and work out durations of time.
Money Practise calculating change when shopping, using different coins and notes to solve real-life money problems.
A little practice each day can make a big difference! Thank you for your continued support in helping the children develop their confidence and independence in learning.