Approach

In English lessons, children are taught speaking, listening, reading and writing skills through studying a variety of styles of writing (genres).  Teachers follow the Teaching Sequence for Writing, which means that children will firstly be taught to read and understand the text, then practise the skills of the style of writing (including grammar) and apply into their own writing. 

The Primary National Curriculum statements will be taught through the modules below.

Y4  English Coverage

The Year 4 English curriculum consists of the following modules.

Poetry

Fiction

Traditional Tales

Story Settings

Stories with a theme

Plays

Non-Fiction

Reports

Explanation

Persuasion

Key poets/authors your children will encounter are:

William Shakespeare

Marcia Williams 

Neal Layton

Emily Howorth-Booth

Joe Todd-Stanton

Mini Grey

Geraldine McCaughrean

Neil Gaimen

Angela McAllister and Graham Baker

Roald Dahl

Roger Stevens

George Layton

Quentin Blake

Michael Rosen

Key Texts used this year:

Overheard on a Salt Marsh - Harold Monroe

Macbeth – William Shakespeare

Roman Myths -  Marcia Williams

The King Who Banned the Dark – Emily Howorth-Booth

Arthur and the Golden Rope – Joe Todd-Stanton

Biscuit Bear – Mini Grey

Ancient Myths Collection – Geraldine McCaughrean

The Romans: gods, emperors and dormice – Marcia Williams

The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish – Neil Gaimen

Leon and The Place Between - Angela McAllister and Graham Baker

Fly, Eagle. Fly -  Christopher Gregorowski

Until I met Dudley - Roger McGough

Charlie Small, Gorilla City - Nick Ward

Ice Palace - Robert Swindells

The Chicken gave it to me - Anne Fine

The Iron Man - Ted Hughes

The Fib - George Layton

The Odyssey - Geraldine McCaughrean

Varjak Paw - SF Said

Curriculum Content

Speaking and Listening

Children will be taught to discuss their learning and to develop speaking skills. They will become more familiar with and confident in, using language in a variety of situations, for a range of audiences and purposes. They will, for example

·         Develop their understanding of a subject through discussions, learning to give their opinions and listen to other view points

·         Speak clearly and in different ways for drama, formal presentations and debate.

Reading

This part of the curriculum is broken down into ‘word reading’ and ‘comprehension’. 

In word reading children will be taught to read and understand the meaning of new words using the skills they have learned previously and building on learning in year 3.  Children will develop the fluency and stamina to read longer texts and the focus for the Year 4 learner is comprehension.  Children will be taught key skills to enable them to read, understand and enjoy a wide range of books. They will, for example:

·         Summarise the main ideas of a text

·         Justify their opinion of particular characters

·         Discuss ideas that are not obviously described in a text eg ‘Explain why the character may have felt like this.’

·         Note how the author chooses language to create a mood or atmosphere

·         Identify the structures or features of particular non- fiction texts

We are able to provide you with a list of age appropriate texts to support the learning:

http://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/reading-lists-for-ks2-school-pupils/suggested-reading-list-for-year-4-pupils-ks2-age-8-9/

Writing

Writing is developed through teaching the following:

Spelling: Children should learn to spell new words correctly and have opportunities to practise spelling skills.  They will be taught spelling patterns and conventions, building on the spellings taught in Year 3.  They will continue to practise and use the words included in Appendix 1 of the National Curriculum for years 3 & 4.

Handwriting: This will continue to be taught, with the aim of increasing children’s consistency and fluency throughout their independent writing.

Composition (structure): This includes vocabulary, grammar and punctuation. To develop their composition skills, the children will be taught to

·         Plan, draft, compose, edit and evaluate their writing

·         Organise their writing into clear paragraphs

·         Use an increasing range of sentence structures

·         Expand sentences by adding detail

·         Write for a range of purposes and audiences as part of their work across the curriculum. In year 4 this will include (cross curricular example, schools to insert their own)

Grammar will be taught throughout the writing process and teachers will follow the terms and concepts of Appendix 2 of the National Curriculum.

Should you wish for a more detailed explanation, please follow this link to the Primary National Curriculum document