Sierra Leone Primary 4 Curriculum - Language Arts

This outlines the Sierra Leone Primary 4 Language Arts curriculum, separated by term and topic. The curriculum emphasizes a learner-centered approach, focusing on developing core language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The provided lesson plans offer a structured approach to teaching, with specific learning outcomes, recommended teaching styles, assessment methods, and suggested resources. The curriculum aims to equip students with the necessary language skills for effective communication and future academic success. It also encourages local adaptation of the syllabus to suit the specific needs and resources of different communities.

Term 1

• Language Structure - Greetings: Students learn different greetings for various times of day (morning, afternoon, evening) and practice using them in different settings (school, home). They also focus on proper intonation and the use of "Sir," "Madam," and "please" when asking and answering questions.
• The Alphabet: Students learn to write and recognize the English alphabet in lowercase, differentiating between lowercase and uppercase letters. They practice writing the alphabet and identifying letters in different words.
• Alphabet Sounds: Students learn the five vowel sounds (a, e, i, o, u) and differentiate between vowel sounds and vowel names. They identify and pronounce two and three-letter words with each vowel sound.
• Word Building: Students practice building words with vowel sounds, double vowel sounds ("ee," "oo"), and consonant blends. This reinforces their understanding of letter sounds and combinations.
• Vocabulary and Language Structure: Students learn to name and identify parts of their body and different classroom objects. They use "my" and "your" in sentences related to body parts and answer the question "What is this?" for classroom objects. They also learn simple pronouns (he, she, it) and basic colors.
• Simple Commands: Students learn to recognize and respond to simple commands orally, using correct language structure.

Term 2

• Revision: Review of Term 1 content.
• Language Structure and Oral Activities: Students continue identifying classroom objects and answer simple questions related to them, using "yes" or "no." They also practice counting from 1-50 using classroom objects.
• Alphabet Sounds and Syllables: Students recognize vowel sounds in three and four-letter words and practice building words with consonant blends. They also learn to identify and pronounce one and two-syllable words, focusing on vowel sounds.
• Structure and Vocabulary: Students learn action words and use them in simple sentences. They also learn simple prepositions (in, on, to, at) and use them in sentences. Students practice answering questions about themselves and classroom objects. They learn about their families and pets, using appropriate vocabulary and pronouns.

Term 3

• Revision: Review of Term 1 and 2 content.
• Structure and Counting: Students continue counting from 36-50 and relate numbers to objects and people. They practice expressing themselves in simple question-and-answer drills about themselves, their families, and friends.
• Sentence Construction: Students learn to use "this" and "that" for singular objects and "these" and "those" for plural objects, differentiating between near and far objects. They practice making short sentences using these words.
• The Alphabet and Capital Letters: Students review writing lowercase and uppercase letters. They learn to use capital letters for names of people and places and practice writing short sentences with proper capitalization.

This detailed breakdown of the Sierra Leone Primary 4 Language Arts curriculum provides a comprehensive overview of the topics covered throughout the academic year. The curriculum's focus on practical application and learner engagement aims to build a strong foundation in language arts for all students.