Summer Term 1 (2023)
Welcome to the Year Four website page
Say hello to the Year 4 webpage! Here you will find all of the key information about what the children are getting up to this term. The door for Year 4 will be opened at 8:45am and will close at 8.55am for registration. Please ensure children arrive on time to ensure that they can settle into the school day successfully.
Reading
Our first novel this term is by Robert Swindell and it’s called Room 13. This timeless book is about a group of teenagers who go on a school trip to Whitby and stay in a hotel. The main protagonist (Fliss) realises there is no Room 13 except at Midnight when a cupboard transforms into it…The kids are going to love this gripping page-turner! After that, we will enjoy Charlotte’s Web by E.B White– A great book filled with heart-warming moments teaching children the power of friendship.
Reading continues to be an important part of the day. Please ensure that your child reads at home daily and that this is recorded in their reading record. Your child’s reading book and reading record need to be sent into school daily to enable us to read at school, change books and monitor your child’s reading progress. A mixture of them reading to an adult as well as reading independently is encouraged in order for children to develop their fluency and comprehension. Our library day is Friday, however the library is also open every lunchtime for children to peruse books.
Writing
As writers, we will be delving into Shakespeare’s story ‘The Tempest’. Inspired by this story, we will focus on the characters, use it to help use write a setting description and try and write our very own meeting tale. We will also look at poems linked to The Tempest such as Caliban’s monologue.
Our work on this story will conclude with a performance to parents on Thursday 25th May. We are very excited to share our understanding and love for Shakespeare’s infamous story…We look forward to welcoming you into the school hall.
Maths
Then in Maths, we will be continuing to learn about fractions, as well as learning about decimals. We will also be looking at money, time and shape. Please encourage your children to continue to learn their times tables. A great, interactive way for children to do this is by logging onto TT Rockstars. Children can even achieve certificates and badges if they can reach Rockstar, Rock Legend and Rock Hero status!
This term, the children will be doing an online ‘Multiplication Check’. 25 random questions all the way up to 12 x 12 and the children have 6 seconds to answer each question. We firmly believe that TT Rockstars is the best way for children to become fluent and competent in their times tables.
Project Learning
We will be starting the term with our new history project, Ancient Civilisations. In this project, children will learn about the history of three of the world’s first ancient civilisations: ancient Sumer, ancient Egypt and the Indus Valley civilisation. Children will learn about the rise, life, achievements and eventual end of each civilisation. Our other companion projects this term include Tomb Builders, Electrical Circuits and Conductors and Islamic Art.
Physical Education
This term, children will be doing PE on a Friday afternoon. We will begin by finishing our unit of work on handball – a fast-paced game that requires awareness of space and hand-eye coordination. We will then begin looking at rounders, cricket and athletics in order to prepare for Sports Day!
School Trip
On Monday 15th May, we will be heading to London for our residential! We are extremely excited about this trip as the children will visit: The British Museum, The Globe Theatre, London Zoo and see other super sights that London has to offer. More information regarding the residential will follow shortly including a kit list as to what the children will need to bring with them…Stay tuned.
Home Learning
Remember to check the Home Learning section every Friday to practice your spellings and times tables for your tests the following week.
If you have any questions or queries, please do not hesitate to email me at:
t.prior@southill.dorset.sch.uk
Mr. Prior