Year 4 articles

Make sure your child holds their pencil correctly every time they pick it up with this quick trick, as outlined in our video by National Handwriting Association Occupational Paediatric Therapist Catherine Elsey.

From anti-clockwise circles to letter formation, find out about your child's handwriting journey and how you can support them at home in TheSchoolRun's video, featuring experts from the National handwriting Association.

From eighteen months to five years, TheSchoolRun's handwriting video explains how children's pencil grasp changes over time, how to establish good handwriting habits early on and what to expect in every stage.

Children who hold their pencil or pen in the ideal handwriting position, the dynamic tripod grip, can write comfortably for longer. The National Handwriting Association's Catherine Elsey explains how to help your child establish a confident tripod grip and how it helps avoid hand pain.

Right-handed handwriting tips and advice from the experts, with practical examples of the best way to position paper correctly and hold the pencil with a tripod grasp. Experts from the National Handwriting Association feature in TheSchoolRun's new handwriting video series.

Left-handed handwriting tips and advice from the experts, with practical examples of the best way to position paper correctly and how to hold your wrist in the optimal position for writing. TheSchoolRun's new handwriting videos feature experts from the National Handwriting Association.

Children in Year 5 and Year 6 are encouraged to use the long division method to divide larger numbers. We explain the technique and offer a step-by-step guide to using it, as well as an overview of division teaching and the division methods used in primary school.

Children are expected to memorise a number of different number facts in primary school, including number bonds to 20 and the multiplication and division facts for the twelve times tables. We explain what number facts your child will be taught when and suggest easy ways to support their learning at home.

Poems come in all shapes and sizes. Some rhyme, some don't. Some are old, some are new. Introduce your child to a world of words to whisper, savour and inspire with some classic poems, chosen for primary-school children of all ages by poet Helen Mort, editor of The Owl and the Pussycat: An anthology of poems that every child should read. Enjoy!

Never heard of NFER levels? You're not alone. We get the lowdown on these optional tests for Key Stage 1 and 2 children.

Travel back in time to Henry VIII's navy and its flagship, the Mary Rose. Recovered from the sea after nearly five hundred years, the ship is presented to visitors in a new, state-of-the-art museum that's highly recommended for families.

Do you know what your child means when they're talking about compiling algorithms and debugging programs? Computing teacher Billy Rebecchi explains the primary school computing and ICT terms that you might hear from your KS1 or KS2 child.

Make this summer a fiction-packed break with our pick of the best kids' books to read on the beach, by a lake, up a mountain, in a tent or just in your own back garden! From laugh-out-loud adventures to murder mysteries and junior chick lit, we've got great suggestions for every genre and every child.

Many children from families who receive certain benefits are entitled to a sum of money paid to their school to boost their learning. We explain the ins and outs of the pupil premium for parents.

In Years 3 to 6, computing lessons are a key part of the curriculum. Here’s what your child will learn in KS2.

One of the best children's museums in the world, Eureka! is packed with hundreds of hands-on exhibits designed to inspire children to learn through play. Our family testers were amazed at what's on offer and determined to be regular visitors in the future.

Travel back in time to Ancient Egypt, see reptiles and amphibians from Costa Rica, walk beneath a giant whale skeleton, come face-to-face with a tiger and meet a life-size Tyrannosaurus rex... just a few of the highlights of a visit to Manchester Museum. Our family testers report back.

Summer is finally here! Make that wonderful, warm globe of loveliness in the sky into a fantastic learning aid with our hands-on activities, perfect for whiling away the hours on a hot afternoon.

A teacher can change a child's life – and attitude to learning – forever. We've found some of the most original (and delicious) ways to say thank you to the person who has enriched your child's school year, whatever your budget. Chocolate and biscuits, personalised bags, mugs and accessories, charity donations and more – all great tokens of your appreciation for the work of an inspirational teacher.