The main concern in grade
4 is to develop independent writing skills. To do this we revise our
understanding of sentences (punctuation and grammar), in particular
the use of the comma, apostrophe and speech marks, Children will
learn to write more complex sentences, to develop and organise their
ideas using titles and paragraphs. They will write in a variety of
styles and forms (stories, letters, poetry, reports, newspapers,
diaries, dialogues, etc).
Children will learn
regularly vocabulary lists. They should correct errors in their own
work and write these words in their vocabulary books too. Word
origins, patterns and families will be studied in class to reinforce
their understanding of words and help improve spelling.
Not all errors in written
work will be corrected. Children need to have the confidence and the
desire to express themselves in writing. Over-correction can stifle
this. Instead 'appropriate' errors, for example capital letters,
words from vocabulary lists, will be pointed out for children to
correct.
Children should always
have a book to read in English (and German!) at home. They should be
encouraged to read regularly and for pleasure both fiction and
non-fiction. In class children will read a wide variety of texts and
will study the language (vocabulary, grammar) as well as the content
(ideas, information.) They will be asked to research topics, prepare
projects and presentations, both orally and written, based on reading
assignments.
For more details about the
areas covered please visit the Cambridge Primary website.
