Year 4
The English curriculum is built around the three interrelated strands of language, literature and literacy. Teaching and learning programs should balance and integrate all three strands. Together, the strands focus on developing students' knowledge, understanding and skills in listening, reading, viewing, speaking, writing and creating. Learning in English builds on concepts, skills and processes developed in earlier years, and teachers will revisit and strengthen these as needed.
In Years 3 and 4, students experience learning in familiar contexts and a range of contexts that relate to study in other areas of the curriculum. They interact with peers and teachers from other classes and schools in a range of face-to-face and online/virtual environments.
Students engage with a variety of texts for enjoyment. They listen to, read, view and interpret spoken, written and multimodal texts in which the primary purpose is aesthetic, as well as texts designed to inform and persuade. These encompass traditional oral texts including Aboriginal stories, picture books, various types of print and digital texts, simple chapter books, rhyming verse, poetry, non-fiction, film, multimodal texts, dramatic performances and texts used by students as models for constructing their own work.
The range of literary texts for Foundation to Year 10 comprises Australian literature, including the oral narrative traditions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, as well as the contemporary literature of these two cultural groups, and classic and contemporary world literature, including texts from and about Asia.
Literary texts that support and extend students in Years 3 and 4 as independent readers describe complex sequences of events that extend over several pages and involve unusual happenings within a framework of familiar experiences. Informative texts include content of increasing complexity and technicality about topics of interest and topics being studied in other areas of the curriculum. These texts use complex language features, including varied sentence structures, some unfamiliar vocabulary, a significant number of high-frequency sight words and words that need to be decoded phonically, and a variety of punctuation conventions, as well as illustrations and diagrams that support and extend the printed text.
Students create a range of imaginative, informative and persuasive types of texts including narratives, procedures, performances, reports, reviews, poetry and expositions.
(source: www.australiancurriculum.edu.au)
Achievement Standard
Receptive modes (listening, reading and viewing)
By the end of Year 4, students understand that texts have different text structures depending on purpose and context. They explain how language features, images and vocabulary are used to engage the interest of audiences. They describe literal and implied meaning connecting ideas in different textsÂ
They fluently read texts that include varied sentence structures, unfamiliar vocabulary including multisyllabic words. They express preferences for particular types of texts, and respond to others' viewpoints. They listen for and share key points in discussions.
Productive modes (speaking, writing and creating)
Students use language features to create coherence and add detail to their texts. They understand how to express an opinion based on information in a text. They create texts that show understanding of how images and detail can be used to extend key ideas.
Students create structured texts to explain ideas for different audiences. They make presentations and contribute actively to class and group discussions, varying language according to context. They demonstrate understanding of grammar, select vocabulary from a range of resources and use accurate spelling and punctuation, re-reading and editing their work to improve meaning.
(source: www.australiancurriculum.edu.au)
- Plus Plan
Subjective and Objective Language Teaching Slides
Teach your students how to confidently identify subjective and objective language in texts with this engaging, age-appropriate slide deck.
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Sentence Cohesion Worksheet Pack
Use this sentence cohesion worksheet pack to teach your students about how to write clear sentences containing strongly connected ideas.
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Context Clues Reading Comprehension Handouts
Use Context Clues Reading Comprehension Handouts to assess your student's ability to define unknown words using context clues.
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Making Predictions Reading Comprehension Worksheet Pack
Improve students' reading comprehension with our Making Predictions Reading Comprehension Worksheet Pack, which features engaging short stories.
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Biography Poster Project Cut-Outs
Download this biography poster project containing engaging cut-outs that help students design an eye-catching and informative display about a person of their choice.
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Landform Report – Mini Book Template
Download this information report template to use when teaching informative writing to primary students.
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Fact File and Report Writing Scaffold Pack
Teach your students to write informative texts using this selection of animal, object and occupation fact files.
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Inspiring Story Starters Task Cards
Get your students writing inspiring stories with this set of story starter task cards.
- Free Plan
Paired Passage Worksheets-Mammals vs. Reptiles
Compare mammals vs. reptiles and add to your reading instruction with leveled nonfiction, compare and contrast passages, and worksheets.
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Adverbial Phrases Comprehension Task: The Secret Garden
Help your students identify adverb groups in descriptive writing with this comprehension worksheet.
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Adverbial Phrases Roll and Write Activity
Along with your students, roll and write your way to hilarious silly sentences with adverb phrases with this printable worksheet!
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Halloween Printables - Read and Draw Worksheet
Practise comprehension skills with an exciting Halloween reading comprehension worksheet for year 4.
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Inspirational Authors – Speechwriting Project
Get you students to research and celebrate an inspirational author with this speechwriting activity.
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How to Make a Paper Plane – Procedural Writing Worksheet
Explore how to make a paper plane while your students fine-tune their procedural writing skills.
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Literary Recount Text Type Poster With Annotations
A poster about literary recounts, including an annotated example.
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Pre- Prefixes Worksheet
Boost students' understanding of the prefix pre- with a printable prefix worksheet.
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Recount Writing Checklist Pack
Use this recount writing checklist pack when teaching your students how to edit their writing.
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Cars Fact File and Report Writing Scaffold
Support your students in writing an information report about cars with this fact file and writing scaffold.
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Homophones Practice Workbook 1
Strengthen your students’ ability to recognise homophones in context with this set of 6 worksheets with answers.
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Developing Report Writing Skills Teaching Slides
Use this slide deck to teach your students about the purpose, structural elements and language features of information reports.
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NAPLAN-Style Assessment Rubric for Poetry
A NAPLAN-style rubric designed to help teachers to assess student's poetry.
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Public Speaking Skills Teaching Slides
Support students to develop public speaking skills like volume, pace, intonation and eye contact using this engaging slide deck designed for Year 3 and 4 students.
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Cohesive Devices List
Download this cohesive devices list for your students to refer to when writing a variety of text types.
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Reading Response Task Cards
Explore reading comprehension with your students using this set of reading response task cards.
- Free Plan
Word Detective Worksheet - Context Clues
Assign our Word Detective Worksheet to give your students extra practice in using context clues to find the meaning of unfamiliar words.
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Word Detective - Interactive Context Clues Game
Play interactive Context Clues games to help your students practise determining the meaning of unknown words in context.
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Persuasive Letter Prompts Task Cards
Use these persuasive letter prompts to get your students writing convincing persuasive letters on a variety of topics.
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Australian Conservationists: The Irwins – Comprehension Worksheet
Learn about the Irwin family and their conservation work with this 2-page reading passage and accompanying comprehension questions.
- Free Plan
Which Homophone? Worksheets
Download this differentiated homophones worksheet to help your students become more familiar with this tricky vocabulary!
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Year 4 Magazine – What's Buzzing? (Issue 3)
Issue 3 of our beautifully designed, 24-page reading magazine specifically designed for Year 4 students.
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ARMS and COPS – Editing Posters and Checklists (Landscape)
Encourage your students to proofread and edit their writing using the C.O.P.S. and A.R.M.S acronyms with a pair of printable writing posters.
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Persuasive Writing Bump It Up Wall – Year 4
A visual display for your classroom to help students 'bump up' their persuasive writing.