What your child learns in Grade 4 in Nova Scotia
Grade 4 raises the pace on reading, writing and number work, with numbers to 10 000, multiplication and division, fractions and decimals. Social studies explores early exploration of the land that became Canada. Science covers habitats, light, sound and rocks.
Grade 4 subjects in the Nova Scotia Curriculum
Math
Big Ideas
- Number: Develop number sense.
- Patterns and Relations: Use patterns to describe the world and solve problems.
- Measurement: Use direct and indirect measurement to solve problems.
12 units, including numbers to 10 000, add & subtract, times tables, multiply & divide.
English Language Arts
Big Ideas
- A1 Foundations of Language: Learners will apply listening, speaking, and non-verbal communication skills and strategies to understand and communicate meaning for various audiences, purposes, and cultural contexts.
- A2 Foundations of Language: Learners will apply understanding of foundational language knowledge and skill when reading and writing.
- A3 Foundations of Language: Learners will apply knowledge of sentence structure, grammar, capitalization, and punctuation when reading and writing.
12 units, including listen, speak & read aloud, word builders, sound-alikes, parts of speech.
Science
Big Ideas
- Life Science: Habitat. Learners will investigate a variety of local natural habitats.
- Life Science: Habitat. Learners will analyse interconnectiveness of and within local habitats, inclusive of a Mi’kmaw perspective.
- Physical Science: Light. Learners will investigate properties of light.
5 units, including habitats & communities, food chains & webs, habitats working together, light.
Social Studies
Big Ideas
- Investigate the concept of exploration. Learners will investigate the concept of exploration.
- Investigate the stories of various explorers. Learners will investigate the stories of various explorers, inclusive of Acadians, African Nova Scotians, Gaels, Mi’kmaq, and additional cultures.
- Evaluate the impacts of exploration. Learners will evaluate the impacts of exploration.
5 units, including what is exploration?, explorers’ stories, impacts of exploration, people & the land.
French Immersion
Big Ideas
- French Immersion is first and foremost a language program: French is both the language students learn in and the language they learn.
- Early French Immersion begins in Primary and Late French Immersion in Grade 7, and both follow Français arts langagiers.
- Students listen, speak, read and write in French for real purposes and audiences.
9 units, including tu ou vous?, poser des questions, synonymes et contraires, les adverbes en -ment.
Core French
Big Ideas
- Oral communication. Learners will communicate orally in French in a variety of authentic situations.
- Reading. Learners will determine the meaning of a range of French texts representing a variety of cultures and diverse abilities, in authentic situations.
- Writing. Learners will create texts in French (including in electronic format) in a variety of authentic situations.
6 units, including greetings, my classroom, colours, numbers 0 to 20.
What to look for on the report card
Look for comments on reading for meaning, organized paragraphs, fractions and decimals, and understanding exploration and its impacts. Core French begins this year.
Nova Scotia report cards describe learning with Limited, Basic, Good, Thorough. See what each level means.
The Essential Graduation Competencies grow through every subject from Primary to Grade 12. Read about graduation competencies.
Ready for Grade 4?
Grade 4 builds on what your child practised in Grade 3. If a skill feels shaky, a few short practice sessions before or early in the year can help:
- Math: numbers to 1000, add & subtract, facts to 20, multiplication, division
- English Language Arts: speaking & listening, spelling patterns, prefixes & suffixes, word pairs, abc order & dictionary
- Science: plant parts & needs, how plants grow & change, pushes, pulls & forces, structures & their jobs, strong & stable
- Social Studies: maps & globes, nova scotia in atlantic canada, cultures of nova scotia, groups, leaders & getting along, rights & responsibilities
- French Immersion: je me, tu te, il se, et, mais, ou, avec, ne… pas, le futur proche, les pluriels en -x
Common questions
Grade 4 covers math, english language arts, science, social studies, french immersion, core french in the Nova Scotia Curriculum. Grade 4 raises the pace on reading, writing and number work, with numbers to 10 000, multiplication and division, fractions and decimals. Social studies explores early exploration of the land that became Canada. Science covers habitats, light, sound and rocks.
Nova Scotia report cards describe learning with Limited, Basic, Good, Thorough.
Short, regular practice works better than long sessions: 10 to 15 minutes a few times a week, on the skills your child's teacher flags. Read together, use math in real life, and praise effort.
Practise Grade 4 skills with Gradelings
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