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
Word Study Lists – Homophones
Introduce your students to the most common homophones with these two sets of comprehensive word lists.
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Homophones in the Dictionary Worksheets
Help your students become familiar with the meanings and spellings of common homophones with this differentiated dictionary skills worksheet.
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Defining Homophones Matching Game
Help your students become familiar with the meanings and spellings of common homophones with this set of 36 differentiated matching cards.
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Defining Homophones Task Cards
Print this set of 24 homophones task cards for your class literacy rotations.
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Year 4 Magazine - What's Buzzing? (Issue 1)
A beautifully designed, 24-page reading magazine specifically designed for Year 4 students.
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Which Homophone? Interactive Game
Add some excitement to your vocabulary lessons with an interactive game exploring homophones and their definitions.
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My Strange Shrinking Parents – Literature Task Cards
Deep dive into the characters and themes of Zeno Sworder’s highly acclaimed book, My Strange Shrinking Parents, with this set of 12 literature task cards.
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Dictionary Definitions Match Up Game
A set of 20 word cards for students to match to their definition.
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ARMS and COPS - Editing Posters and Checklists (Portrait)
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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Biography Writing Bump It Up Wall
Use this visual display in your classroom to help students ‘bump up’ their biography writing.
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Year 4 Magazine - "What's Buzzing?" (Issue 1) Task Cards
A set of five literacy rotation task cards to be used in conjunction with Issue 1 of Teach Starter's Year 4 magazine.
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How to Make a Milkshake – Procedural Writing Worksheet
Explore how to make a milkshake while your students fine-tune their procedural writing skills.
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Human Histories: Amazing Artists – Comprehension Worksheet
A comprehension worksheet for a magazine article about some amazing artists.
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J. K. Rowling Biography and Worksheet
Download this J.K. Rowling biography and worksheet, designed to help students learn about the life, education and writing career of the world-famous author.
- Free Plan
Books for Sharing Indigenous Perspectives - Poster
A list of Indigenous storybooks for the classroom recommended by Aboriginal education organisation, Wingaru Education.
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Year 4 Magazine – "What's Buzzing?" (Issue 3) Task Cards
A set of five literacy rotation task cards to be used in conjunction with Issue 3 of Teach Starter’s Year 4 magazine.
- Free Plan
Explanation Text Research Template
A research template for students to use when writing an explanation text.
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Year 4 Dictation Passages PowerPoint
Use this set of Year 4 dictation passages to promote listening and transcription skills in your students.
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Review Text Type Poster With Annotations
A poster about reviews, including an annotated example.
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-Ty and -Ity Suffixes Worksheet
Practise using the suffixes -ty and -ity with a printable suffix worksheet.
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Preposition Activity Sheet Pack – Read and Draw
Download this preposition activity sheet pack, where students read a series of instructions to draw scenes by identifying prepositions.
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Author's Purpose - Sorting Worksheet
A teaching resource to help teach your students the different reasons authors may write.
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Compare and Contrast - Objects Worksheets
A pack of 5 worksheets comparing and contrasting pictures of similar objects.
- Plus Plan
Reading Detectives Bookmarks
8 colourful reading detective bookmarks to use during guided reading sessions in the classroom.
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Editing Symbols Chart
Use this editing symbols chart to help simplify the proofreading process for your students.
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Doctors Fact File and Report Writing Scaffold
Support your students in writing an information report about doctors with this fact file and writing scaffold.
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Eagles Fact File and Report Writing Scaffold
Support your students in writing an information report about eagles with this fact file and writing scaffold.
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Read and Roll - Comprehension Dice Game
A fun reading comprehension strategy game to play in the classroom during literacy groups.
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Sequencing Text - Worksheet
A worksheet to use when teaching students how to understand sequence when reading.
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Procedural Recount Text Type Poster With Annotations
A poster about the procedural recount text type, including an annotated example.
- Plus Plan
Colour Me Carefully Worksheets
A set of four colouring pages to be used as speaking and listening activities.
- Plus Plan
Story Archetypes Teaching Slides
Teach story archetypes with this engaging slide deck that introduces students to ten of the most common plot patterns in literature.