Dear Parents,
As this is our first week of setting homework for Year 4, we wanted to explain the tasks and rationale behind setting them. All homework tasks and links needed are posted onto Google Classroom. All apps require your child’s google login, except Epic which requires a class code. You will find all the class codes on Google Classroom.
Spelling
We will be asking the children to use Spelling Shed to practice their weekly spelling words. Ideally, this should be done twice per week. Children should aim to gain ‘Royal Bee’ status, this simply means they have practiced that week by using the games several times. ‘Royal Bee’ is not linked to correct answers, it is linked to time practicing. If children are finding their spellings tricky, they can switch to easy mode and still attain Royal Bee status. These activities not only help with spelling, but they also help to build vocabulary by using the new words in context, impacting the children’s reading and writing progress too. Teachers check the data from spelling shed weekly and will adjust word lists or re-visit spelling patterns based on the scores the children attain.
Times Tables
We use TTRockstars as a tool for practicing times tables and children should aim to use this tool to practice twice per week. TTRockstars is a progressive programme so after an initial period of assessment your child will be placed on the appropriate place on the programmw to challenge them. Children who practice more regularly will move through the programme at a quicker pace. TTRockstars notifies Class Teacher if your child becomes stuck on a particular step of the programme (if they remain on the same step for too long without progressing). If this happens, Class Teachers will arrange for an in-school intervention to take place to support your child.
Reading
Children will be asked to read daily. This may be a book from home, school, the library, or a book from Epic. All Class codes for Epic are posted on Google Classroom. Children collect one iRead for every 15 minutes they spend reading; children must record their reading in their diary in order to collect iReads.
To allow the children to practice their comprehension of texts, we are asking them to spend 20 minutes per week on Read Theory. Read Theory is also a progressive programme. After an initial assessment, Read Theory will place your child on the appropriate step of the programme. If at first the questions seem too easy or too challenging, it will be because your child is still within the initial assessment phase.
Reflect and Improve
We use SeeSaw regularly in English, Mathematics and Discovery lessons, this creates a wonderful record of your child’s learning and progress. Each week we would like your child to sit with an adult at home and talk through their SeeSaw learning journal. We hope this sparks many interesting conversations in your home. Occasionally, teachers may leave improvement comments on tasks. We will be asking the children to spend some time, editing and improving tasks if their teacher has asked them to. If a class teacher would like a specific task to be reviewed or edited they will label it with a pink ‘Home Learning’ sign.
We believe that this review of and discussion around in-class learning will be highly beneficial to your child’s progress.
Later this term we will be reaching out to gain some feedback about the home learning schedule we have set. In the meantime, if you have any questions please contact your child’s class teacher, or Lewis Peck – Year Group Leader.
Kind regards,
The Year 4 Team