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
5 Informative Writing Stimulus Sheets
Writing stimulus sheets with an informative text focus.
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Types of Sentences Posters
A set of 7 posters outlining the structure of various types of sentences.
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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.
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Reading Fluency – Stop Polluting the Ocean (Year 4)
A Year 4 reading fluency assessment.
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Introduction to Narrative Features PowerPoint - Year 3 and Year 4
A 23 slide editable PowerPoint template to use when teaching your students about the features of narrative texts.
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Narrative Writing Checklist (Simplified Version)
A checklist for students to use when proofreading and editing their narrative writing.
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Summarising Teaching Slides
Teach students all about summarising with 15 teaching slides of summarising goodness.
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Persuasive Device Definitions – Match-Up Worksheet
Have students match the persuasive devices with their definitions using this simple one-page worksheet.
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Distinguish Between Fact and Opinion Poster
A poster highlighting how to distinguish between fact and opinion when reading a piece of text.
- 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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Procedure Texts Writing Scaffold
A scaffolding sheet which can be used to write a procedure text.
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Comprehension Task Cards - Recognising Cause And Effect
A set of comprehension task cards to help students recognise cause and effect when reading.
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Non-Fiction Text Features Teaching Slides
Explore the features of non-fiction texts with your students using this detailed and age-appropriate slideshow for primary school literacy lessons.
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Verb Groups Worksheet
Review verb groups with this 3-page worksheet.
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120 Comprehension Strategy Question Cards
A set of 120 open-ended question cards to help students apply comprehension strategies when reading.
- Free Plan
Quotation Marks Poster
A poster highlighting the correct use of quotation marks and punctuation for direct speech.
- Free Plan
Persuasive Text Planning Template (Using OREO)
A planning template for students to use when writing a persuasive text.
- Plus Plan
Comprehension - Stop Polluting The Ocean
A comprehension activity using a persuasive text.
- Plus Plan
Persuasive Devices Crossword
Familiarise your students with the most common persuasive devices with an engaging crossword puzzle.
- Free Plan
Nonfiction Text Features Worksheet
Download this nonfiction text features worksheet so students can practice locating different types of text features found in an information text.
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Cursive Writing - Cursive Alphabet Handwriting Practice Sheets
A set of 6 sheets to practise writing letters in cursive.
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Advertisement Text Type Poster With Annotations
A poster about advertisements, including an annotated example.
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The Story of Gulaga - Comprehension and Activity Worksheet
A comprehension and linked activity based on an Aboriginal Dreaming Story.
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Narrative Structure Sorting Task
A sorting task to help students learn about narrative structure.
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Upper Primary Handwriting Sheets
Fifteen handwriting sheets for upper primary.
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Modal Language Matching Activity
Have students explore high modality and low modality language with this matching game to use during your persuasive writing unit.
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Inference Comics - Worksheet
Use this set of comic strips when teaching your students how to infer information from everyday situations.
- Plus Plan
Perfect Punctuation Volume 1 – Worksheet Book
A workbook packed with 50 punctuation activities for use in the classroom.
- Free Plan
Readers' Theatre Script - Lion and the Mouse
A script which can be used during readers' theatre or Drama sessions, aimed at students 6 years and over.
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Topic Sentence Starter Cards
A pack of 32 narrative, persuasive and report writing sentence starter cards.
- Free Plan
Readers' Theatre Script - Treasure Map
A script which can be used during readers' theatre or Drama sessions, aimed at students 8 years and over.
- Free Plan
Poetry Poster With Annotations
A poster about poetry, including an annotated example.