Grade 3/4 – Term 4- 2018

Oct 10, 2018

Grade 3 and 4

English

Reading

Students in Grades 3 and 4 will continue to build their reading stamina through the C.A.F.É Reading Program with Read to Self and Read to Someone. We will revisit the skills of being able to pick books that are suitable for their level and strategies. Students should continue to read at home using appropriate leveled books.

Students will be covering the following reading strategies during Term 4.

Comprehension:

  • Text to text – Same idea different author
  • Text to text – characters from different texts (similar personality)
  • Interpreting visual elements of fiction texts
  • Analysing language choices
  • Analysing language choices in relation to the Author’s purpose
  • Justifying opinions about texts
  • Summarising – Order of occurrence
  • Summarising- Chronological order

Accuracy:

  • Monitor and self correct

 Fluency:

  • Pay attention to punctuation- Brackets, dashes, commas, ellipses
  • Use a character voice

Expand Vocabulary:

  • Use a dictionary

Concepts of Prints:

  • Viewing and interpreting Historical Fiction
  • Interpreting layouts of digital text and non digital print
  • Distinguishing between different genres

Writing

Writing sessions are broken into three 15 minute blocks

  • Independent writing (students work on independent strategy)
  • Explicit teaching
  • Follow up activity (students complete a writing activity that follows on from the explicit teaching)

The curriculum is taught through the use of our S.C.R.I.P.T.S program

Structure                  Maintain Cohesion: Use text connectives such as then, and, soon, but, so.

Conventions           Use nouns, pronouns and noun groups.  
                                 Use Precise Language

Revisions                 Make Improvements- add, delete or move words or word groups to improve text.
                                  Edit for punctuation
                                  Edit for Commas

Ideas                          Develop Characters
                                    Develop Setting
                                    Develop Plot
                                    Experiment with texts
                                    Expand ideas and themes

Punctuation             Use commas
                                   Use quotation marks

Text Types               Response/Review,
                                  Poetry,
                                  Scripts and plays

Spelling                    ‘Words Their Way’

Oral language

We will be exploring the different origins of the English language and influences from other cultures.  How to take turns when talking and working collaboratively in groups by listening and following instructions and recognising when it is your turn to talk.

Mathematics

Students in Grades 3 and 4 work in ability based groups for Number. This Term we will be learning about:

Patterns and Algebra:

  • Identify and write rules for a skip counting patterns.
  • Create a pattern when given the rule.
  • Use the inverse operation to find an unknown value.
  • write an equation to match a multiplication or division word problem.

Operations:

  • Use multiplication to solve problems
  • Use division to solve problems
  • Use addition to solve problems
  • Use subtraction to solve problems

Problem Solving:

  • Problem solving – Try all possibilities
  • Problem solving – Work backwards

In other areas of maths, students will be learning about:

2D Shape:

  • Identify the features of squares, rectangle, triangles and circles
  • Identify the features of quadrilaterals and polygons, and identify the shapes that result from splitting or combining them.

3D Shape:

  • Identify simple 3D objects such cubes, cones, cylinders and spheres using their features such as faces, edges and vertices.
  • Identify 3D objects such as prisms and pyramids using their features such as faces, edges, vertices, nets and cross sections.

Symmetry & Transformation:

  • Identify and apply translations, reflections and rotation for 2D shapes.
  • Draw the other half of a shape to make it symmetrical.
  • Identify and create tessellating patterns.

Probability:

  • Identify events which are possible or impossible.
  • Represent probabilities using fractions.
  • Conduct simple chance experiments such as flipping a coin, rolling a dice, spinning a spinner, etc.

Inquiry

Our Term 4 theme for Inquiry is ‘Connections’. Students in Grade 3 and 4 will be learning about different celebrations that take place around the world. We will be exploring some familiar celebrations as well as other unique, unfamiliar celebrations from countries around the world. Some of the celebrations we will be learning about include; Hogmanay, Carnivale, Bastille Day, Cinque De Mayo, Thanksgiving, Australia Day, ANZAC Day, Chinese New Year, Ramadan, La Tomatina, Independence Day and more…

Helping your child at home:

You can help your child at home by:

  • Ensuring they read each day and discuss the text with them.
  • Assist them to practise their times tables and division facts.
  • Mathletics tasks can be completed on the computer https://au.mathletics.com/
  • Encouraging students to complete their spelling homework tasks (see below)

Grade 3/4 Homework

Homework activities in Grade 3/4 are strongly encouraged. Students are expected to read every night and may complete a mixture of spelling and maths activities in addition to this. Below are some suggestions to choose from. Students are not required to hand in work for correction, although they should make a note of which activities they have completed in their diary.

Reading

Read to self Read to someone Read and retell Read and CAFÉ
Read quietly to yourself for 15 mins. Focus on improving your accuracy. Read aloud to someone to 15 mins. Focus on improving your fluency. Read for 15 mins and then retell the main events from the text. Read for 15 mins and practise your CAFÉ strategy.

 

Spelling

Initial sort Meanings Conversations Word hunt
Sort your words. Explain your sort to someone. Look up the meaning of any words you don’t know. Use your words during a conversation with someone. Look for words that follow your pattern or sound in your take home books.
Blind sort Mix n fix Speed sort Spelling city
Have someone read your words. Point to the correct heading for each word. Play a game of mix n fix with someone. Time yourself doing a speed sort. Repeat 3 times and try to beat your time. Log on to www.spellingcity.com and use your words to play game.

Maths

Times tables Division facts Mathletics Workspace
Learn any times tables you don’t know. You may like to use Times Table Toons on Mathletics to help you. If you already know your times tables, practise your division facts. Log on to www.mathletics.com and do an activity or Live Mathletics. Log on to www.mystudentdashboard.com and watch a video or do an activity from Workspace.  To log on students need to be signed in to their Google Account.