Autumn 2

Writing

This term in English, we will be creating a biography based on the famous Black Roman Emperor, Septimius Severus. We will explore features such as headings, subheadings, paragraphs, subordinating conjunctions and fronted adverbial phrases. 

We will then move on to our next English text type, persuasive writing, where we will try and persuade the reader about our opinions on art. In order to do this, we will explore different pieces of writing to help us structure and plan our own writing. We will learn how to use rhetorical questions and linking adverbs as well as how to use adjectives to create impact. 

Reading

This half term, we will be focusing on learning how to match information from a text. We will learn how to do this using skimming, scanning and close reading a text to help our understanding. We will use different text types to help us develop our comprehension skills.

We will also be reading 'Peanut Jones and the Illustrated City' by Rob Biddulph. 

Drawing feels like magic to Peanut Jones. But art can't fix her problems. Her dad has gone missing, and she's stuck in a boring new school. Until the day she finds a unique pencil turbo-charged with special powers. Suddenly she's pulled into a world packed with more colour, creativity, excitement and danger than she could ever have imagined. And maybe, just maybe, she might find out what happened to her dad.

Autumn 1

Writing

This term in English, we will spend the first two weeks creating a non-chronological report about Squirrels and Foxes. We will explore features such as headings, subheadings, paragraphs, the use of pronouns and key information about each animal.

We will then move on to our next English text type, narratives. We will use the book 'The Last Wolf' to help us understand how narratives are formed and which features we would find in them, such as a setting and characters. We will also explore how to use to use expanded noun phrases and prepositions. 

Here is a short description of 'The Last Wolf'...

One day, Little Red puts on her hunting gear, packs her lunchbox and heads into the woods to catch a wolf. Fortunately, Mum knows that there are no wolves left in the woods, so Little Red will be safe. Red wanders deep into the shadowy woods until she finds a strange door where she meets the Last Wolf, the Last Lynx and the Last Bear.

The animals tell Little Red all about the Good Old Days, when the world was awash with flowers and dripping in honey. Red feels terrible that the forest the animals once roamed freely in has been so reduced – but there is something she can do to help.

Oracy

During this half term, we will be using our oracy skills to express our views and opinions. We will take part in a Soapbox Challenge week,  where we will create our own speeches about a topic we feel passionate about.

Reading

This half term, we will be focusing on learning how to retrieve information from a text. We will learn how to skim, scan and close read a text to help our understanding. We will use different text types to help us develop our comprehension skills.

We will also be reading 'Fantastic Mr Fox' by Roald Dahl as a class reader.

GAPS - Grammar, punctuation and Spelling

We will be using Rainbow Grammar to help us understand how to structure sentences. We will firstly be learning what a subject, predicate and stop is. Then we will move on to learning about subordinating conjunctions, time and manner adverbs, fronted adverbials and prepositions. We will also explore how to use inverted commas to show speech in our writing.

This half term, we will be revisiting Phase 5 and 6 spelling rules. We will be learning about alternative graphemes and a range of spelling rules.

The spelling words to learn set by the National Curriculum can be seen below. This is a list of words to learn by the end of year 4.