Australian Curriculum • Year 4 • English
Year 4 English Curriculum Australia: Reading, Writing and Language
Year 4 English develops deeper comprehension and more deliberate control over language. Students compare texts, discuss ideas and viewpoints, build vocabulary and create increasingly cohesive spoken and written responses.
Read beyond the obvious
Students should identify explicit information but also infer, compare and explain how a text creates meaning. Ask them to point to a word, sentence or feature that supports the answer. Evidence-based reading habits prepare students for later analytical work.
Build cohesive paragraphs
Writing should move beyond a sequence of disconnected sentences. Encourage students to group related ideas, use transitions and choose vocabulary that fits the purpose and audience. Editing can focus on one layer at a time: meaning first, then sentence clarity, spelling and punctuation.
Choose the current English unit
The Year 4 English curriculum units make it easier to target reading, language or writing skills precisely. SkillrHub connects each unit to a Topic Guide, Teacher Slides, Worksheet, Practice and Test so learners can review the same skill they are assessed on.
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Australian Curriculum v9
Year 4 English curriculum codes at a glance
This guide is linked to the exact Australian Curriculum v9 content descriptions used by SkillrHub. There are 28 Year 4 English curriculum codes in this subject. Use the code list below to move from the broad year-level overview to the exact skill a student is learning.
Language for interacting with others
AC9E4LA01 — Language used to develop relationships in formal and informal situations
explore language used to develop relationships in formal and informal situations.
AC9E4LA02 — The subjective language of opinion and feeling, and the objective...
identify the subjective language of opinion and feeling, and the objective language of factual reporting.
Text structure and organisation
AC9E4LA03 — How texts across the curriculum have different language features and...
identify how texts across the curriculum have different language features and are typically organised into characteristic stages depending on purposes.
AC9E4LA04 — How text connectives including temporal and conditional words, and topic...
identify how text connectives including temporal and conditional words, and topic word associations are used to sequence and connect ideas.
AC9E4LA05 — Text navigation features of online texts that enhance readability including...
identify text navigation features of online texts that enhance readability including headlines, drop-down menus, links, graphics and layout.
Language for expressing and developing ideas
AC9E4LA06 — That complex sentences contain one independent clause and at least...
understand that complex sentences contain one independent clause and at least one dependent clause typically joined by a subordinating conjunction to create relationships, such as time and causality.
AC9E4LA07 — Investigate how quoted (direct) and reported (indirect) speech are used
investigate how quoted (direct) and reported (indirect) speech are used.
AC9E4LA08 — How adverb groups/phrases and prepositional phrases work in different ways...
understand how adverb groups/phrases and prepositional phrases work in different ways to provide circumstantial details about an activity.
AC9E4LA09 — Past, present and future tenses and their impact on meaning...
understand past, present and future tenses and their impact on meaning in a sentence.
AC9E4LA10 — The effect of choices when framing an image, placement of...
explore the effect of choices when framing an image, placement of elements in the image and salience on composition of still and moving images in texts.
AC9E4LA11 — Expand vocabulary by exploring a range of synonyms and antonyms...
expand vocabulary by exploring a range of synonyms and antonyms, and using words encountered in a range of sources.
AC9E4LA12 — That punctuation signals dialogue through quotation marks and that dialogue...
understand that punctuation signals dialogue through quotation marks and that dialogue follows conventions for the use of capital letters, commas and boundary punctuation.
Literature and contexts
AC9E4LE01 — Similar storylines, ideas and relationships in different contexts in literary...
recognise similar storylines, ideas and relationships in different contexts in literary texts by First Nations Australian, and wide-ranging Australian and world authors.
Engaging with and responding to literature
AC9E4LE02 — The effects of text structures and language features in literary...
describe the effects of text structures and language features in literary texts when responding to and sharing opinions.
Examining literature
AC9E4LE03 — How authors and illustrators make stories engaging by the way...
discuss how authors and illustrators make stories engaging by the way they develop character, setting and plot tensions.
AC9E4LE04 — Examine the use of literary devices and deliberate word play...
examine the use of literary devices and deliberate word play in literary texts, including poetry, to shape meaning.
Creating literature
AC9E4LE05 — And edit literary texts by developing storylines, characters and settings
create and edit literary texts by developing storylines, characters and settings.
Texts in context
AC9E4LY01 — Texts from different times with similar purposes and audiences to...
compare texts from different times with similar purposes and audiences to identify similarities and differences in their depictions of events.
Interacting with others
AC9E4LY02 — Listen for key points and information to carry out tasks...
listen for key points and information to carry out tasks and contribute to discussions, acknowledging another opinion, linking a response to the topic, and sharing and extending ideas and information.
Analysing, interpreting and evaluating
AC9E4LY03 — The characteristic features used in imaginative, informative and persuasive texts...
identify the characteristic features used in imaginative, informative and persuasive texts to meet the purpose of the text.
AC9E4LY04 — Different types of texts, integrating phonic, semantic and grammatical knowledge...
read different types of texts, integrating phonic, semantic and grammatical knowledge to read accurately and fluently, re-reading and self-correcting when needed.
AC9E4LY05 — Comprehension strategies such as visualising, predicting, connecting, summarising, monitoring and...
use comprehension strategies such as visualising, predicting, connecting, summarising, monitoring and questioning to build literal and inferred meaning, to expand topic knowledge and ideas, and evaluate texts.
Creating texts
AC9E4LY06 — Plan, create, edit and publish written and multimodal imaginative, informative...
plan, create, edit and publish written and multimodal imaginative, informative and persuasive texts, using visual features, relevant linked ideas, complex sentences, appropriate tense, synonyms and antonyms, correct spelling of multisyllabic words and simple punctuation.
AC9E4LY07 — Plan, create, rehearse and deliver structured oral and/or multimodal presentations...
plan, create, rehearse and deliver structured oral and/or multimodal presentations to report on a topic, tell a story, recount events or present an argument using subjective and objective language, complex sentences, visual features, tone, pace, pitch and volume.
AC9E4LY08 — Words using clearly formed joined letters, with developing fluency and...
write words using clearly formed joined letters, with developing fluency and automaticity.
Phonic and word knowledge
AC9E4LY09 — How to use and apply phonological and morphological knowledge to...
understand how to use and apply phonological and morphological knowledge to read and write multisyllabic words with more complex letter combinations, including a variety of vowel sounds and known prefixes and suffixes.
AC9E4LY10 — How to use knowledge of letter patterns, including double letters...
understand how to use knowledge of letter patterns, including double letters, spelling generalisations, morphological word families, common prefixes and suffixes, and word origins, to spell more complex words.
AC9E4LY11 — And write high-frequency words including homophones and know how to...
read and write high-frequency words including homophones and know how to use context to identify correct spelling.
Curriculum descriptions are reproduced from the curriculum data used to organise SkillrHub resources. The Australian Curriculum remains the authority for official wording and scope.
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