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)
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Comprehension Task Cards - Identifying Author's Purpose
A set of comprehension task cards to help students identify the author's purpose when reading.
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Prefixes, Suffixes and Roots - Dictionary Hunt Worksheet
Investigate the morphological meanings of word-parts with this dictionary hunt.
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Text Features Flashcards
Teach students the features of nonfiction texts such as headings, sidebars, captions and many more with this set of flashcards for primary students.
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Reading Response Journal – Comprehension Templates
A journal with comprehension sheets designed for students to study texts.
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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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Digital Warriors: Scroll Trolls – Worksheet
A comprehension worksheet for the comic from the Year 4 magazine (Issue 3).
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Welcome to America! – Worksheet
A comprehension worksheet for a country profile from the Year 5 magazine (Issue 2).
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Year 4 Magazine - "What's Buzzing?" (Issue 2) Task Cards
A set of five literacy rotation task cards to be used in conjunction with Issue 2 of Teach Starter’s Year 4 magazine.
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Recess Rules: The More the Merrier – Worksheet
A comprehension worksheet for a comic about the importance of making a variety of friendships.
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Personal Response Text Type Poster With Annotations
A poster about personal responses, including an annotated example.
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Fairy Tales Text Type Poster With Annotations
A poster about fairy tales, including an annotated example.
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-Ment Suffixes Worksheet
Improve students' understanding of the suffix -ment with a printable suffix worksheet.
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Words with Prefixes Worksheet - Prefix Re-
Build students' understanding of the prefix re-.with a printable prefix worksheet.
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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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Inference or Prediction? Worksheet
A worksheet to use when teaching your students the difference between an inference and a prediction.
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Story Sequencing - Template
A worksheet to use when teaching students how to sequence important events when reading.
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Cause and Effect - Sentence Sort Worksheet
A worksheet and answer sheet to use when teaching students the cause and effect comprehension strategy.
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Comprehension Task Cards - Recalling Facts And Details
A set of comprehension task cards to help students recall facts and details when reading.
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Reading Detectives Name Tags
8 colourful reading detective name tags to assign students during guided reading sessions.
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Reading Comprehension Strategies PowerPoint - Activating Prior Knowledge
A 13 slide editable PowerPoint template explaining the reading comprehension strategy of activating prior knowledge.
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Comprehension - Why Bears Have Stumpy Tails
A comprehension activity using a narrative text for lower grades.
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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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Gemstones Fact File and Report Writing Scaffold
Support your students in writing an information report about gemstones with this fact file and writing scaffold.
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Homophones Bingo
Make learning about homophones and their definitions an engaging whole-class activity with this homophones bingo game.
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Comprehension Keys Board Game
A fun comprehension strategy board game for students to play during literacy rotations.
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Sequencing Life Events - Worksheet
A worksheet to use when teaching students how to understand sequence when reading.
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Reading Detectives Worksheets
8 reading detective worksheets to use during guided reading sessions in the classroom.
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QAR Generic Question Cards
A set of 28 generic QAR question cards for students to use as a comprehension task after reading.
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Narrative Mood Teaching Slides
Explore narrative mood with this interactive presentation that helps students understand what mood is, why it matters and how to create it in their own writing.
- Free Plan
Paralympic Sports – Inquiry-Based Project
Have your students investigate the different types of Paralympic sports with this inquiry-based learning project.
- Plus Plan
Plot Archetypes Booklet
Explore plot archetypes with this engaging 8-page mini book that helps students analyse familiar story structures.