Year 4 Home Practice Friday 21st January 2022

Date: 21st Jan 2022 @ 5:28pm

Year 4

Home Practice 21^st January 2022

Welcome to this week’s blog. Here’s what we have been learning in school this week ….

In English, we finished our class novel, The Iron Man, and discussed the ending and the moral to the story.  In addition, we planned our own story based on the The Iron Man.  We wrote the beginning of the story and edited this with a partner. Next week we will write the middle and the end, and hope to publish our story, so that we can share it with our classmates.

In Maths, we continued learning about multiplication. This involved multiplying larger numbers using partitioning (eg 36 x 7), doubling numbers up to 4 digits and refining the grid method of multiplication.  Initially we used arrays to help with our understanding. Additionally, we have been practising our tables, and counting in 12’s to help with our times tables.

In RE, we learnt more about the parish community, such as the name of our parish, what the parish does to spread the Good News and how the school and parish links up.  In addition, we discussed how people within the parish serve the community in church.  For example, the priest guides the Christian community with the help of the deacon, and lay people also work with the priest to serve the parish.

This week in French we learnt about the Romans in Nimes. There are some amazing Roman buildings which have been beautifully restored and are central to life in Nimes to this day. We then listened to the official song of AFCON -The African Cup of Nations football tournament which is taking place in Cameroon at the moment. Many African countries speak French so we discussed this.

In Science, we started to make and evaluate different switches. We needed to have an understanding of which materials conducted electricity and how a switch worked. 

We began our PE lesson by running around both playgrounds 4 times, without stopping.  We then split into 2 groups.  Inside, the children learnt 3 different techniques (the broad jump, the pencil roll and the teddy bear roll).  These were then incorporated into a gymnastic sequence the children devised themselves. Outside, the children practised their hockey skills – passing, receiving and moving with the hockey ball. They then took part in mini games using the skills they had learnt.

This week we also went outside to plant some saplings near the footpath.  We hope that the children will enjoy seeing the saplings grow and flourish.

NEXT WEEK IN DT we are hoping to make our own ‘Iron’ creature, based on the Iron Man.  If you need anything for your design, such as a cardboard tube, box or tub, please bring these into school.  In addition, you may wish to bring any ‘decorations’ into school too. School will provide cups, tin foil, some decorations, card and paper, along with the electrical circuit components.

This week’s Home Practice ….

Reading

Please read for 20 minutes each evening to an adult at home.  Make sure you discuss the story and the characters.  Find the meaning of any new words too.  Reading every night will help you read more fluently and with understanding. 

Times tables

You have been given your own individual times table target.  Please make sure you continue to practise your times tables in preparation for your test next week, on Thursday (27^th January 2022). Ask someone at home to test you on your tables – can you recall them quickly and accurately?  

Remember - you can also practise your tables playing ‘Hit the button’ and https://www.timestables.co.uk/

It is crucial that you learn all of your table facts as this will help you with many aspects of maths.

Counting

This week, please practise counting in 12’s – draw a line and some marks on it like I do in class. You could write the numbers down as you count up.  When you count down, cover the numbers up, say the number, then reveal what you have got written down to check you’ve said the correct number.

Count in 12’s

For example, start at 0 and count up to 144 and back again (this will help with your 12 times tables)

0   12     24     36  etc                     144    132    120  etc

Then try counting from 40 to 148 and back again

40   52   64   etc                            148   136    124   etc

Spellings

The spellings this week all have the prefix ‘inter’.  A prefix is a group of letters that change the meaning of a word when they are added to the start.  ‘Inter’ means ‘among’ or ‘between’.  Please practise your spellings each evening at home as many of you are still not doing this.  You will be tested on them next Thursday (27^th January 2022).

interact       intercity      interview     intermediate         international

internet       interface     intercept     intercom      interchange

interfere     intervene     interrupt     intermittent          intergalactic

Sumdog challenges

You have been set 3 challenges on Sumdog:

• A spelling challenge based on the spellings above
• A times table challenge based on the 12 times tables
• Multiplying 2 and 3 digit numbers by 1 digit

(eg 32 x 8     30 x 8 = 240     2 x 8 = 16       240 + 16 = 256)

(Use the grid method which we have practised in class this week for 3 digit multiplications)

Please make sure you log on and have a go! Many of you are still not accessing Sumdog on a daily basis. Little and often is the key to success!

Number bonds

Number bonds are very important and help with many aspects of maths. The more confident you are with these, the easier you will find addition, subtraction, mental calculations etc.  Therefore, please continue practising your number bonds / addition skills playing Hit the Button

The game you will play will help with your number bonds and quick addition skills. For example:

8 + 6               you could partition this into         8 + 2 + 4 = 14

This is because 8 + 2 is a pair to 10, then add the 4 to 10

Click on the link above, then on Play Game.

Click on Number bonds

On the left-hand side you will see the words ‘Up to 20’

Click on Addition within 20

See how many you can get correct in 1 minute. Then have another go and try and beat your score.

Maths and spelling training

Please continue to use the maths and spellings training sections as these are tailored for your child to practise skills, facts and words that they find difficult.