Multiplication Tables Check
Coming up next week, Year 4 will be completing their Multiplication Tables Check (MTC).
They will have to answer 25 times table facts and will have 6 seconds for each question. It will be completed on the iPads.
I am so proud of all the progress Year 4 have made with their times tables this year. They have put in so much time and effort and this is reflected in their fluency.
In preparation for the MTC next week, ensure your children are practising their times tables up to 12s at home. Here are some ideas:
- Visit https://mathsframe.co.uk/en/resources/resource/477/Multiplication-Tables-Check to complete a practice MTC.
- Go on TTRS and do Garage and Soundcheck.
- Ask your child a different times table fact at each meal time.
- Play a game to see who can answer 10 times table facts the quickest.
- Stick some post-it notes around the house with different multiplication facts on.
Writing: setting description
Over the next few weeks, Year 4 will be writing setting descriptions based on a creepy, abandoned house. Our audience will be an illustrator so we’ll be so descriptive that an illustrator could use our writing to draw the setting for their book.
Today, we read a WAGOLL (what a good one looks like) and pulled out all the description that allowed us to picture the setting in our heads.
Deep in the middle of nowhere stood the Murkmire Forest — a dark, tangled, and silent place. The trees loomed like tall, twisted statues, their branches reaching out like bony fingers. Even during the day, a mist lay low to the ground, curling around roots and rocks like it didn’t want to let go.
The air inside the forest was heavy and still, as if it had been holding its breath for years. Leaves crunched softly underfoot, though no animals ever seemed to stir. Every now and then, the wind would blow suddenly, whispering through the trees like it had something to say — like a ghost trying to reach out.
Even the sunlight seemed afraid to enter, slipping weakly through the thick canopy above. Shadows moved where nothing else did, and the deeper you walked, the more the path behind you seemed to fade. Some say if you stay too long, the forest remembers your footsteps… and follows them.
Using this description, your children then drew what they imagined the forest to look like. This was a great way for them to see how important rich description is for the reader.
Help at home: when your children are out and about, ask them to use their 5 senses to describe what they’re experiencing.
- What can you smell?
- What can you see?
- What can you hear?
- What can you feel?
- What can you taste?
Waterstones!
Yesterday, 9 children from Year 3 and 4 went on a trip into Leeds city centre to visit Waterstones!
The children had a look around and all chose a book to take home. We had great fun looking at all the different choices that were available. It was hard to choose just one!
Your children chose a mixture of books – graphic novels, narratives and non-fiction books.
It was a lovely afternoon out!
Brownlee Triathlon
This week, a group of our Key Stage 2 pupils took part in the Brownlee Foundation Mini Triathlon event at John Smeaton. This is always a popular and oversubscribed event and it introduces the children to the elements of triathlon – a swim, a bike ride and a run.
Well done to all the children for taking part, showing great determination and supporting each other.
If your child is interested in triathlons, please see more details in our physical activity guide or have a look at the bike and run opportunities at the Brownlee Centre.
Some children are also competing in the upcoming junior aquathlon taking place at Leeds University on 1st June. More details can be found here.
Writing: Hot-Seat
In writing, we’re currently working on a piece of journalistic writing all about Leeds West Indian Carnival.
The purpose is to tell the news.
We’re learning about the carnival in our History topic at the moment so we know loads about it! A carnival is a festival that is made up of processions, dancing, music and costumes.
The R2s (remember tos) for our online news article are going to be:
- a headline
- subheadings
- main facts
- history of the carnival
- quotes
Today, we looked more closely at quotes. Your children did a hot-seat where they got to interview some people about the carnival. We then used the quotes gathered from these interviews to turn into direct speech.
Help at home: ask your child who founded the Leeds West Indian Carnival? Why did they start Leeds West Indian Carnival? What does Leeds West Indian Carnival involve?
Living & Learning: keeping hydrated
As part of our L&L focus on healthy eating, Year 4 have been learning about hydration and why its so important.
Our body is nearly two-thirds water, so we must make sure we keep it full of fluids and stay hydrated. Water is essential for life, and it is important to get the right amount of fluid to be healthy.
Hydration can be defined as replacing the lost fluid, particularly water, in something. Therefore, when we do exercise or enjoy the warm weather we must be extra careful to stay hydrated as we lose more water in sweat.
Remember to always bring a water bottle to school – especially now the suns out!
We can get fluids from many different liquids:
- Water is the best choice because it hydrates us without adding sugar or damaging teeth.
- Milk is a useful source of nutrients like calcium, vitamins and proteins.
- Fruit/vegetable juices and smoothies provide water plus some vitamins, minerals and fibre. However, they are also high in natural sugars!
Help at home: test your child’s hydration knowledge using these questions…
1. Roughly, what percentage of water comes from foods?
- 0%
- 10%
- 15%
- 20%
2. Which of the following is the drink recommended to be consumed the most frequently?
- Water
- Milk
- Sugary drinks
- Sports and energy drinks
3. Why is it recommended that children should avoid sugary drinks?
- They contain less fluid
- The sugar can potentially damage teeth
- They do not contain caffeine
- They contain more vitamins
4. Which of the following are likely to increase your fluid requirements?
- A cold day
- Partaking in vigorous exercise
- Watching TV
- All of the above
Science: classification keys
We are biologists!
This half-term Year 4 are learning about our second unit of biology:
Living things and their habitats!
As part of this topic, your children have been revisiting classification keys. Classification keys are used to sort living things according to their characteristics.
We discussed what makes a good classification key question…
It must be a closed (yes or no) question.
It must be about an observable characteristic.
It must not be based on opinion.
Year 4 have been using and creating classification keys to help them identify a variety of unknown animals and plants.
Help at home: go outside (in your garden or local park) and pick 4 different plants. Can your child create a classification key to sort these plants?
Herd Farm adventures
One of the reasons we take the children on a residential visit is to find out more about the children outside of school as well as the obvious opportunity to experience the adventurous activities. This year was no different – we see a whole different side of the children and even found out that some move around in the splits!
It was an amazing visit and the children were fabulous. There were hesitations and nerves about some activities but nobody refused to do anything and a lot of them surprised themselves. This is what they got up to..
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A huge thank you to Miss Newman and Mrs Charlesworth for giving up their time (and sleep!).
Until next year!
Writing: Chocolate Cake by Michael Rosen
Year 4 are currently writing a narrative inspired by Chocolate Cake by Michael Rosen.
A narrative is a story and its purpose is interest and entertain.
We’ve watched Michael Rosen perform this poem and your children love it! Give it a watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWrOeNKvtHI&t=46s
Our narrative is going to be about sneaking into the teacher’s staffroom and stealing a delicious treat. To help inspire this, your children got to take a sneaky trip into the staffroom to see what it’s really like.
We’ve been practising direct speech lots this week as we want to include that in our narratives. I’ve been really impressed with how well your children have grasped this as it can be tricky!
Help at home: have a brief conversation with your children and ask them to write it down using direct speech. Make sure they use all our R2s above!