Happy New Year and welcome back to what is set to be another very busy term!
Our first mini-topic is ‘What’s the matter?’ and is science-based. Children will learn about materials and their properties. We will explore what objects are made from and why. You can help your child learn more about this topic when choosing which clothes to wear and talking about which materials everyday objects are made from and why. Children will also ask ‘What’s the matter?’ from a social and emotional point of view, thinking about how they can solve problems.
The next big topic is Life.
Life is all around us, in plants and animals, and comes in all shapes and sizes – it’s amazing! In this biology-based topic, we find out how our body works, what all living things have in common and the differences we might notice. Amongst other things, we’ll think about why animals choose particular habitats and why a healthy diet is important. Help your child at home by naming body parts, including the parts inside that you can’t see, discussing why you breathe hard after exercise and what plants you can see when you’re out and about.
This term, Year 4 will be diving into two class novels.
The first will be a Fighting Fantasy novel, which is the title given to a series of interactive books, also known as game books, that were developed by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone. This book will certainly be intriguing and memorable because the children’s participation and the choices they make directly affects the outcome of the story! Good luck!
The second will be ‘Akimbo and the Elephants’, written by Alexander McCall Smith. Here’s the blurb:
‘Ten-year-old Akimbo lives on a game preserve in Africa. His father is the head ranger, and Akimbo is eager to help him whenever he can—even if it means getting into some pretty dangerous situations.’
How can you help?
Question your child about the book. What do they know about the characters? Perhaps, look at other books in ‘The Fighting Fantasy series.’
During the next term, we will be giving some children additional or alternative homework. This is because, in lessons, there are areas in Maths and English where extra practice (at home) would be very beneficial to consolidate the learning in school.
Please support your child with this at home and if you’re not sure of how best to do this then please pop in and ask us. We’re always happy to help.