Year 4 Spring Overview
January 2024
Dear families,
Welcome back and happy New Year! This newsletter gives an overview of our curriculum plans for the Spring Term and some additional useful information.
Curriculum
Our Geography focus for this term is Biomes. We will be learning about the Arctic and Antarctica, climate zones, the biomes that exist in them and the impact of climate change on the environment.
Our writing will be inspired by Ernest Shackleton and the Endurance expedition, supported by Ice Trap! by Meredith Hooper and MP Robertson. The children will be writing to inform, including a recount and biography of an imagined explorer.
We are currently reading non-fiction about Antarctica and exploration to grow our background knowledge. We will also be reading The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate, paying particular attention to character and ‘reading between the lines’ to understand what we have read.
Spelling will be taught two or three sessions each week, in a 15-20 minute session. Children will have spellings in their yellow books to practise at home.
In Maths, the first half term’s work is all about written arithmetic. We will be practising methods for Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication and Division. Each week we will revisit the number objectives to consolidate key maths skills. Please ensure your child practises their multiplication and division times table facts using TTRockstars. Please ask if you need a reminder of your child’s login details.
PE timetable:
Both classes: PE (Tag Rugby) on Tuesdays, swimming on Fridays
In Music, we will be learning to play the glockenspiel.
In Art, we will be studying the work of Yayoi Kusama, a Japanese artist, and using sewing to make minibeasts inspired by her work.
In Science, we will first be learning about states of matter, including melting and freezing. After the break, we will be learning to classify living things using branching keys.
In French, the children will be consolidating our learning about days of the week and months of the year. We will then be learning to talk about pets.
Additional information
Uniform
Please can you ensure that children have a change of shoes to wear at breaktime. OPAL can get very muddy and the children will not be able to use the field or other muddy areas without a change of shoes.
Home reading
Please continue to read with your child at home. Regular reading will help your child to develop their vocabulary, their confidence and their enjoyment of reading. You can support them by asking ‘how’ or ‘why’ questions to help them with their understanding.
Please ensure your child’s reading record is filled in. If you child is reading a colour-banded book, please encourage them to re-read the book to develop their confidence and their recognition of the words.
Useful resources to support your children:
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to speak to us at the end of the day. If you would like to request a meeting, please email the school office.
Many thanks,
Miss Parker and Mr Wilson