Welcome to Year 4

Welcome to Summer 1 and Year 4! 

As always we will continue to adhere to our school values of Respect, Good Manners, Patience, Perseverance and Honesty. We will understand the school rules of 'Be Safe, Be Kind and Be the best you can be!'  We will continue with our 'Brookhouse Dojo' rewards scheme to acknowledge positive attitudes and behaviours that are consistent with our values.  Homework will be collected in on a Wednesday to be marked and returned by Friday.  There will also be online tasks to complete on Purple Mash, SPAG.com, Reading Plus and Times Tables Rockstars. 

Our topic for this half term is 'Water Water Everywhere'

English

The unit for this half term is Narrative Based on a Text. Pupils will study the text, 'The Mousehole Cat'. We will analyse and evaluate texts looking at language, structure and presentation. We will retell a range of stories, identifying, discussing and collecting effective words and phrases which capture the reader’s interest and imagination e.g. metaphors, similes. We will make predictions based on information stated and implied and demonstrate active reading strategies e.g. generating questions, finding answers, refining thinking, modifying questions, constructing images. We will draw inferences around characters’ thoughts, feelings, actions and motives, and justify with evidence from the text using point and evidence. We will explore settings and characterisation in the text, using vocabulary to create emphasis and atmosphere. When writing we will link our ideas within paragraphs e.g. fronted adverbials. We will use powerful adverbs, adverbial phrases, technical language, persuasive phrases and alliteration. Through the story of Lemuel Gulliver and his adventures in strange lands such as Lilliput, By the end of the unit, pupils will write an short story.

Reading is a priority of ours at Brookhouse therefore Whole Class Reading sessions take place everyday, where children are expected to read a range of texts and answer questions by summarising, retrieving, making inference and explaining.  We also have a specific focus on vocabulary, which will be sent home to learn before the lesson.  In school, we will continue to use the online reading resource called 'Reading Plus' and encourage children to complete lessons at home.  It is imperative for you to support your child with reading, please use the question stems to ask your children questions to check for understanding.  Also, ensure your child is learning their spellings for ten minutes daily. 

Oracy - Voice 21

As a school we are developing our Oracy, learning through talk and learning to talk.  In class, we provide opportunities for discussion in all areas of the curriculum.  We encourage children to fully participate by taking on a range of roles and utilising the discussion guidelines created at the start of the academic year.

Mathematics

In Maths, our aim is to improve Maths Fluency, Reasoning and Problem Solving.  We do this through concrete, pictorial and abstract models. We will begin with exploring 'Money'. We will learn how to count and record in pounds and pence. We will make links between tenths and hundredths, and decimal notation for money. Then we will learn how to compare amounts of money by looking at significant digits, and by converting amounts from pounds to pence, and vice versa. We will be learn how to round money to the nearest pound and understand contexts;  using this skill to estimate amounts and totals. We will then apply these skills to problem-solving situations. We will then move on to 'Measurement'. We will learn how to estimate and measure mass, volume and length. They will learn how to convert units of measure from larger to smaller, and vice versa. We will also learn how to measure perimeter using centimetres and millimetres. We will then focus on area by measuring surface coverage, e.g. counting squares before measuring area by using multiplication. Then we will find areas of figures that have squares and rectangles by counting and visualising. We will learn how to apply our knowledge of finding area to figures in different orientations.

In Year 4 we will be focusing on our multiplication tables with a view to the MTC Test in the summer term. Please do support your child at home to learn the multiplication tables. 

Science

The strand of science we will be focusing on for the whole spring term is Chemistry - States of Matter. We will begin by understanding the differences in properties of solids, liquids and gases. We will name, group and compare solids, liguids and gases.  We will learn that materials change state when they are heated or cooled, and measure or research the temperature at which this happens in degrees Celsius (°C) e.g. the freezing point of water is 0oC, water boils when it is heated to 100oC. We will develop our understanding that melting is a state change from solid to liquid, freezing is a state change from liquid to solid, boiling is a change of state from liquid to gas that happens when a liquid is heated to a specific temperature and bubbles of the gas can be seen in the liquid. We will give everyday examples of evaporation (change of state from liquid to gas) and condensation (change of state from gas to liquid). We will understand that if we want a liquid to evaporate quickly we can add heat and vice versa. We will then explore and describe the water cycle e.g. Water at the surface of seas, rivers etc. evaporates into water vapour. How this rises, cools and condenses back into a liquid forming clouds. We will discover that when water has condensed, the water droplets in the cloud get too heavy and fall back down as rain, snow, sleet etc. and drain back into rivers etc.  Pupils will be expected to work scientifically by setting up simple practical enquiries including comparative and fair tests, making careful observations, identifying similarities and differences, gathering, classifying and presenting data, recording findings using scientific language, drawing and labelling diagrams. They will use scientific evidence to answer questions or support their findings. Please encourage your child to learn their knowledge organiser which will assist them with their weekly quizzes.

Art

We will be exploring the work of the famous Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai. We will begin by learning about his life and discovering key facts about his work inspired by nature, especially the sea and mountains. We will study his well-known artwork The Great Wave and use it as inspiration to create our own wave pictures, using different colours and textures. Throughout the unit, we will develop our skills by learning to critique the work of others, explaining what we like or dislike and why. We will explore how to identify different textures within images and experiment with creating depth and texture using papier mâché.  We will also create effects and tone using coloured tissue paper in our artwork. Finally, we will reflect on and evaluate both our individual pieces and the collective class work.

Physical Education

P.E sessions will take place on a Monday afternoon, our unit this half term is Athletics. We will be developing our athletics skills in PE by practising a range of throwing and jumping techniques. We will develop our pull, push and sling throws with increasing accuracy and control, and we will perform standing long jumps with growing confidence. We will be also learning to perform a hop, step and jump (triple jump) with control, and devising sequences of five different jumps, linking them together to achieve the greatest possible distance. We will be able to choose the most appropriate type of throw for different targets and distances, showing improved decision-making and coordination.

Please ensure your child comes into school wearing their full P.E kit.  The kit should include a yellow P.E top with the school's logo matched with black shorts, joggers or leggings and black pumps or trainers.  Over the top, children will wear their school jumper or cardigan. All jewellery must be removed, ensure earrings are taken out before the session or covered with plasters.

History

In History we will be learning about the Ancient Egyptians, developing our understanding of where this civilisation fits within a wider historical timeline, including the Roman Empire and the Great Fire of London. We will explore the importance of the River Nile, identifying key reasons why it was vital for survival and daily life. We will also learn about significant events from this period and began to recognise differences between early and later Ancient Egyptian societies. Throughout the topic, we will be developing our enquiry skills by asking thoughtful questions and using a range of resources to find answers, showing curiosity and growing confidence in our historical learning.

PSHE

Sessions will take place on Thursday afternoon, our unit for this term is, Keeping Safe. We will be developing our understanding of personal safety and wellbeing in PSHE. We will develop our understanding about how to recognise and manage negative pressure, suggesting strategies to help make safe and positive choices. We will discuss when it is important to notify a trusted adult in an emergency, particularly when rules are not being followed, and learn about personal space, understanding why it is wrong to make others feel uncomfortable by being too close or touching them. We will also consider situations where privacy may need to be broken in order to keep someone safe, identifying trusted people we could speak to. In addition, we will explore the importance of rules and laws, recognising how we help to keep everyone safe and ensure fairness in society.

If you have any queries, do not hesitate to discuss these with us at the end of the school day or arrange an appointment through the school office.

Thank you for your support.

All the best from the Year 4 team!

Miss Woodhouse (Class Teacher)

Mrs Khonat (Higher Level Teaching Assistant)

Mrs Matador (SSA)

Mrs Saleem (Teacher Assistant)