Welcome to Year 4!
In Year 4, we have two classes: Flamingo Class and Macaw class.
Please click on the links below to see what we have been up to lately in Flamingo and Macaw Class.
Social Story
Each year, we create a Social Story for our individual year groups. The aim of the Social Story is to help children become accustomed to their change in environment as they progress upwards through the school. It outlines how their classroom will look, who their teachers are, and how the school day may look. Our Year 4 social story can be found here:
Welcome Evening
It was wonderful to welcome parents to our information evening in September. For those parents and guardians who were unable to attend, please find below the PowerPoint that was shared for your information.
Curriculum
Newsletters
Our Learning
Fairtrade Friday
For Fairtrade Friday in Year 4, we explored the supply chain for producing tea. We then looked deeper into the lives of some of the farmers by reading a letter and testimonials. Some of the children had some really thoughtful insights, including how Fairtrade doesn’t just impact the farmers but their families as well. We discussed how the choices we make can impact them and some children are going away ready to challenge their parents on what brand of tea they drink! Finally, they produced a tea-leaf and wrote a message to the UK government on what they think should be done.
Language Day
For Languages Day, Flamingo Class learnt some Punjabi from one of the children in the class, who is from India. First, he taught the class to say 1-5 in Punjabi, it was really hard but he did a really good job. After that, the class learnt a song in Punjabi which taught them how to say some fruits. The children really enjoyed singing and learning the new words. Finally, they completed a worksheet writing the fruits in Punjabi.
For languages day, Macaw class were very lucky to have a child from Romania teach some Romanian! She was their language teacher for the lesson and taught them days of the week and numbers to 10. They also learnt some colours and how to say ‘My name is….’ . They even learnt how to say Mrs Kavanagh in Romanian! As part of the morning they talked about which languages they can speak and ones that they would like to learn.
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Exploring The Americas
This year, all of Year 4's learning will be focusing on the Americas. We will be learning all about the geography, history, culture and more.
Watch this space for photos of the children and their learning.
Useful Links
Below, you can find a number of useful links to help support your child's learning:
Multiplication Tables Check practice
Hit the button (times tables practice)
National Literacy Trust - A great range of reading resources and support available.
Oxford Owl - Library of free E-books that can be accessed on any device.
Multiplication Tables Check (MTC)
As you may or may not be aware, in the summer term of each academic year all children in year 4 will be sitting the Multiplication Tables Check. This is a statutory assessment to assess children’s fluency and competency with their times tables. The check assesses knowledge of all times tables from 1x1 to 12x12, and it is vital that children can recall these multiplication facts quickly and confidently, as children are only given six seconds to answer each question.
The table below shows how frequently each times tables is likely to show up in the times tables check. Questions are randomly generated, so the amount will vary each time.
|
Times table |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
|
Minimum times it will appear. |
n/a |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
|
Maximum times it will appear. |
n/a |
2 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
As you can see from the table, there is an emphasis on the 6, 7, 8, 9 and 12 times tables as these are considered more challenging, so it is really important that children know these tables fluently and confidently.
Throughout the year we will be consistently practising, learning and reinforcing your child’s times tables knowledge. We will be practising times tables daily in school, and will be running mock multiplication checks twice a week, alongside smaller focus groups to support children with developing their times tables skills.
To continue to support your child at home, we would strongly recommend the following:
- Using Times Tables Rockstars at least twice a week to practice.
Times Tables Rockstars has a range of settings to use, including mock times tables checks, timed questions, and the ability to choose which times tables to use for targeted practice.
https://play.ttrockstars.com/auth/school
- Using the maths frame times tables check to rehearse the timings and structure of the Multiplication Tables Check.
The link we have provides for the maths frame times tables check is similar to what children will experience in the final times tables check. This is really useful to help familiarise themselves with their timings, as well as the layout and structure of the check.
https://mathsframe.co.uk/en/resources/resource/477/Multiplication-Tables-Check
- Using a range of other resources to support your children with times tables practice.
Over the last few terms we have also shared with you several resources to support your children at home with learning their times tables. Please find several further links below that may be of use.
Hit the button: https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/hit-the-button
This game gives children 60 seconds to answer as many questions as they can, and helps to test their speed and fluency with times tables. It can also be used to practice the inverse with their division facts.
BBC times tables collection: https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/supermovers/times-table-collection/z4vv6v4
We will be using these videos in school and the children really enjoy them. They get children up and dancing along whilst singing their times tables.