Zambia Grade 4 School Syllabus - English

This syllabus is outcomes-based and learner-centered, designed to develop essential literacy and language skills. It builds upon the foundation established in earlier grades, where initial literacy is taught in the learner's familiar Zambian language. The Grade 4 syllabus focuses on practical application of English in various contexts, emphasizing communication and comprehension.

Listening and Speaking:

• Storytelling: Learners retell stories in the correct sequence, demonstrating comprehension and narrative skills.
• Conversation: Learners participate in conversations on familiar topics, responding appropriately and confidently.
• Puzzles: Learners solve and interpret puzzles, enhancing critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
• Greetings: Learners use polite greetings, demonstrating respect and social awareness.
• Plays: Learners perform simple plays, developing self-confidence, public speaking skills, and creative expression.
• Poetry: Learners recite poetry and identify basic poetic elements like rhyme and imagery.
• Instructions and Directions: Learners follow oral instructions and directions, improving listening comprehension and spatial reasoning.
• Time: Learners discuss seasons and related activities, expanding vocabulary and understanding of time concepts.
• Antonyms and Synonyms: Learners use antonyms and synonyms, enriching their vocabulary and understanding of word relationships.
• Polite Requests: Learners use socially acceptable language to make polite requests, demonstrating courtesy and appropriate communication skills.

Reading:

• Silent Reading: Learners practice silent reading with comprehension, developing independent reading skills.
• Reading Aloud: Learners read aloud with appropriate pace, pronunciation, and understanding, building fluency and confidence.
• Comprehension: Learners answer comprehension questions based on passages, demonstrating understanding and analytical skills.
• Interpreting Information: Learners interpret information from charts, graphs, diagrams, tables, and maps, developing critical thinking and analytical skills.
• Extensive Reading: Learners read a variety of materials and summarize main points, expanding their knowledge and vocabulary.

Writing:

• Word and Sentence Order: Learners rearrange words and sentences logically, developing organizational and critical thinking skills.
• Composition: Learners write stories using given vocabulary, fostering creativity and writing skills.
• Sentence Construction: Learners construct grammatically correct sentences with increasing complexity, including the use of adjectives, objects, and complements.
• Dictation: Learners write dictated sentences and passages, improving spelling, punctuation, and handwriting.
• Tenses: Learners use simple present, present continuous, and simple past tenses, developing grammatical accuracy.
• Free Writing: Learners write sentences based on pictures, encouraging creative expression and vocabulary application.
• Guided Writing: Learners write paragraphs based on pictures with structured support, developing writing skills and exploring cross-cutting themes like HIV/AIDS, child abuse, corruption, and substance abuse.
• Informal Letters: Learners write informal letters, learning the format and conventions of letter writing.
• Posters and Notices: Learners design simple posters and notices, developing visual communication and creative thinking skills.
• Parts of Speech: Learners use adverbs of manner, expanding their understanding of grammar and sentence structure.