What to expect in Year 4

Bitesize are here to support you and your child as they begin year 4.

Although, each school will do things a little bit differently, there are some areas of Maths and English that your child will likely cover in their new year group.

This year you can expect your child to focus on their times table facts. Additionally, most schools do an assessment at the end of the year.

Find out what else to expect in Year 4.

Maths - Year 4

Place value

In year 4, your child will continue to develop the skills they learned in year 3. They will build their confidence in comparing and ordering larger numbers by deepening their understanding of place value.

Your child will work with larger numbers this year up to 4 digits.
This year, your child will be introduced to rounding.
Your child will look at numbers with decimals.

To help your child practise what they have learned in Maths so far and pick up some new skills, try the Guardians of Mathematica game.

Year 3 recap

Before your child starts year 4, it may be a good idea to recap some topics they covered last year.

Calculations

The key difference between year 3 and year 4 for addition, subtraction, multiplication and division is working with larger numbers. Your child will also work on solving word problems using these skills.

A big focus this year will be on your child's times table facts. This includes the multiplication and division facts.
Your child will continue to practise different methods of addition and subtraction with numbers up to 4 digits.
Your child will start with multiplying and dividing by 0, 1, 10 and 100.
Once ready, your child will move to more formal written methods of multiplication and division.

Year 3 recap

Before your child starts year 4, it may be a good idea to recap some topics they covered last year.

Fractions, money and time

Your child will continue to build their confidence in other areas of maths including; measurement, shape and data.

Your child will compare and order fractions as well as work out how to find a fraction of an amount.
They will solve money problems.
Your child will recap telling the time and be introduced to the 12 hour and 24 hour clock.

Year 3 recap

Before your child starts year 4, it may be a good idea to recap some topics they covered last year.

Quiz: Year 3 Maths recap

Have a go at the Year 3 recap quiz with your child to see how much they can remember from last year.

English - Year 4

Reading

This year, your child will build on their reading skills. It is good to practise reading out loud as well as their comprehension skills.

Your child will practise retrieving information from fiction and non-fiction texts.
They will be asked to infer information from texts. This means reading between the lines and looking for clues.
They will learn to summarise different types of texts and make informed predictions. This means using what you've read to work out what might happen.

Year 3 recap

Before your child starts year 4, it may be a good idea to recap some topics they covered last year.

Writing

This year your child will use what they have learned in English to up-level their writing. They will write fiction as well as non-fiction texts.

Your child will learn to consider how to alter their writing for different audiences.
They will write for multiple different purposes.
They will be taught to plan their writing.

Year 3 recap

Before your child starts year 4, it may be a good idea to recap some topics they covered last year.

Grammar, punctuation and spelling

This year, your child will build on the skills they learned in year 3.

They will continue to build on their spelling skills looking out for rules and patterns.
Your child will use correct punctuation in their writing including inverted commas for speech.
Your child will write longer more complex sentences using conjunctions and fronted adverbials.

Year 3 recap

Before your child starts year 4, it may be a good idea to recap some topics they covered last year.

Quiz: Year 3 English recap

Have a go at the Year 3 recap quiz with your child to see how much they can remember from last year.

Wellbeing

Starting a new school year after the summer holidays can sometimes feel overwhelming and tiring.

Staying active, taking rests and being creative can all help your child's overall wellbeing.

Naomi Wilkinson takes us through a calming and comforting song about taking care of our mental wellbeing.

When your child goes back to school, it's also a chance for them to meet up with their friends again and join in with sports and fun activities together.

Join in with this encouraging song and dance routine for everybody from the Super Movers for Every Body team - Every Body Can.