Social studies in Year 4: what Lärkompis practises
In Year 4 of Swedish school (around age 10), Lärkompis practises 15 skills in social studies (geography, history, religion and civics), linked to 22 of 50 items in the core content of Lgr22, the Swedish national curriculum, for Years 4–6. The areas are methods and tools of geography; geographical conditions, patterns and processes; cultural encounters and state formation in the Nordic region, approximately 800–1500; power relations and living conditions in the Nordic region, approximately 1500–1800; religions and other worldviews; rights and the administration of justice; information and communication; examination of social issues; societal resources and distribution; and individuals and communities. Each skill has five difficulty levels, and the skills are practised in 4 mini-games, including Kunskapsjakten (Knowledge Hunt), Labbet (The Lab) and Tidslinjen (The Timeline).
Lgr22 sets out core content for each stage (Years 4–6), not for each year. So Lärkompis spreads the skills across the years using its own time windows, and these are estimates. For Year 4, this means that 8 skills start this year and 7 skills started earlier and are still being practised. The figure 22 of 50 counts the items in the core content from Skolverket (the Swedish National Agency for Education) that at least one skill links to; it does not mean the whole item is covered.
What Lärkompis practises in Year 4
The 15 skills in social studies in Year 4 are grouped into 10 areas following Skolverket's syllabus. Under each skill you can see the first and the last difficulty level, so you know how far the exercises go.
Methods and tools of geography
- Fieldwork to explore natural and cultural landscapes Level 1: Which kind there was most of, with the numbers shown. Level 5: Totals and differences without the numbers shown.
- Map keys, scale, contour lines and the equator Level 1: Choose from three options. Level 5: Mixed, in all formats.
- Scale, lines of latitude and longitude, and map keys Level 1: Grid map, two places in the same row or column. Level 5: Rotated map, distances at different scales and a map key.
- Reading position and compass direction between Swedish towns on a map Level 1: North or south between two towns, with three towns to compare. Level 5: Five towns in order and all eight compass points.
Geographical conditions, patterns and processes
- Rainforest, desert, tundra, coniferous forest and savannah Level 1: Choose from three options. Level 5: Mixed, in all formats.
- Names and locations of Sweden’s main regions, provinces, cities, lakes, rivers and mountains Level 1: Choose from at most three answers. Level 5: Match four pairs, plus ordering tasks with more steps.
Cultural encounters and state formation in the Nordic region, approximately 800–1500
- State formation, the spread of Christianity and living conditions in the Nordic region, 800–1500 Level 1: Choose from at most three answers. Level 5: Match four pairs, plus ordering tasks with more steps.
- The Viking Age and runes Level 1: Questions with at most three clearly different options. Level 5: Match four question–answer pairs, plus mixed yes/no questions.
Power relations and living conditions in the Nordic region, approximately 1500–1800
- The nobility, clergy, burghers and peasants Level 1: Choose from three options. Level 5: Mixed, in all formats.
Religions and other worldviews
- Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism Level 1: Choose from all the options. Level 5: Mixed, with all the examples.
Rights and the administration of justice
- The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and children’s rights Level 1: Questions with at most three clearly different options. Level 5: Match four question–answer pairs, plus mixed yes/no questions.
Information and communication
- Using digital media responsibly and seeing different perspectives on social issues Level 1: Choose from at most three answers. Level 5: Match four pairs, plus ordering tasks with more steps.
Examination of social issues
- Sender, message, purpose, critical evaluation of sources and disinformation Level 1: Choose from three options. Level 5: Mixed, in all formats.
Societal resources and distribution
- Income, expenses, saving, loans and being a consumer Level 1: Choose from three options. Level 5: Mixed, in all formats.
Individuals and communities
- Social roles and norms, gender equality and society’s safety net for children Level 1: Choose from at most three answers. Level 5: Match four pairs, plus ordering tasks with more steps.
What the syllabus says, in short
The Lgr22 core content for Years 4–6 in social studies, summarised in our own words for the parts Lärkompis practises in Year 4. Read the full text in Skolverket's English translation of Lgr22.
- How landscapes are formed, where natural resources are found and how the climate affects the way people live.
- The Viking Age and the Middle Ages in the Nordic region, and how children, women and men lived then.
- Rituals, rules for living and holy places in Christianity, Islam and Judaism, and the main features of Hinduism and Buddhism.
- Roles and norms in families and friendships, and personal finance such as work, wages and spending.
- Looking critically at information and social issues.
How to help at home with social studies in Year 4
Year 4 starts the middle stage (Years 4–6). A new stage often means a new pace and more concepts in a short time, so give your child time and ask how the new things feel, rather than how many they got right. Follow a news story or a topic for a week and ask “why did it happen, and what happens next?”. Ask your child to show where they read something and why they trust the source.
- Watch how you talk about maths and school. Avoid “I was bad at maths too”. Say instead “I never got to learn it properly, let’s find out together”. It shows that hard things can be learned. As a conversation: about 5 minutes.
- A set time and place for homework. Decide together when and where homework is done, for how long, and that screens are put away. In the research review, clear routines showed the strongest link to better homework habits, more than direct help. Works in everyday life: about 10 minutes.
- Sit beside your child with your own book. You don’t need to know the answer. Have your own book or computer open, and answer questions with questions (“what is the question asking for?”). Being there without taking control supports independence. When it is hard going: about 15 minutes.
- Praise what your child did. Say “you didn’t give up when it got hard” or “you tried a new way” instead of “you’re so clever”. Praise for effort and strategy makes children more willing to take on challenges than praise for talent. As a conversation: about 5 minutes.
How you can tell it has clicked in Year 4
- The nobility, clergy, burghers and peasants: Your child can name the four estates and what they did.
- Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism: Your child can match a holy scripture, a festival or a leader with the right religion.
- Sender, message, purpose, critical evaluation of sources and disinformation: Your child can ask who is sending a message and why.
- Income, expenses, saving, loans and being a consumer: Your child can explain the difference between income and expenses.
Common pitfalls in Year 4
- Fieldwork to explore natural and cultural landscapes: Starts counting without first deciding the time or the place.
- Scale, lines of latitude and longitude, and map keys: Mixes up lines of longitude and latitude.
- State formation, the spread of Christianity and living conditions in the Nordic region, 800–1500: Thinks everyone became Christian at the same time.
- The Viking Age and runes: Thinks everyone in the Viking Age was a warrior.
If social studies practice in Year 4 often ends in tears or takes far too long, stop for the day and write a few lines to the teacher about what was hard. That is useful information for the school, not a failure.
Games that practise it
In Year 4 social studies, Lärkompis uses 4 mini-games. In these games, playing is the practice, so your child learns while they play. There are no points or streaks, and no ads.
Kunskapsjakten (Knowledge Hunt)
A quiz show in a TV studio, where Vera leads the questions up a ladder. There are lifelines but no points: the ladder fills up with the questions your child has worked through. In Year 4, the game practises 15 skills: fieldwork to explore natural and cultural landscapes; map keys, scale, contour lines and the equator; scale, lines of latitude and longitude, and map keys; rainforest, desert, tundra, coniferous forest and savannah; and more.
Labbet (The Lab)
Guess first, then find out. The tasks are based on checked facts. In Year 4, the game practises 13 skills: fieldwork to explore natural and cultural landscapes; map keys, scale, contour lines and the equator; rainforest, desert, tundra, coniferous forest and savannah; names and locations of Sweden’s main regions, provinces, cities, lakes, rivers and mountains; and more.
Tidslinjen (The Timeline)
Your child puts cards on a line in the right order, for example events, steps or numbers. A card in the right place turns over and shows the answer. In Year 4, the game practises 2 skills: reading position and compass direction between Swedish towns on a map; and state formation, the spread of Christianity and living conditions in the Nordic region, 800–1500.
Kartjakten (Map Hunt)
A made-up island with a compass rose, a map key and a scale bar: the map is the task. In Year 4, the game practises 1 skill: scale, lines of latitude and longitude, and map keys.
Questions about social studies in Year 4
What does Lärkompis practise in social studies in Year 4?
Lärkompis has 15 skills in social studies in Year 4, for example “Fieldwork to explore natural and cultural landscapes”; “Map keys, scale, contour lines and the equator”; “Scale, lines of latitude and longitude, and map keys”; “Rainforest, desert, tundra, coniferous forest and savannah”; and “Reading position and compass direction between Swedish towns on a map”. Each skill has five levels. In “Fieldwork to explore natural and cultural landscapes”, for example, level 1 is “Which kind there was most of, with the numbers shown” and level 5 is “Totals and differences without the numbers shown”. The app adjusts the level to how your child is doing.
What comes after Year 4 in social studies?
In Year 5, Lärkompis practises 23 skills in social studies, and new that year are “Names and locations of countries, cities, rivers, mountains and deserts in Europe and the world”; “Fieldwork to explore natural and cultural landscapes”; and “How choices made by individuals and by society affect the environment and sustainable development”. Most of it builds on what your child practised in Year 4.
Which mistakes are common in social studies in Year 4?
Common mistakes that Lärkompis covers include “Starts counting without first deciding the time or the place” in “Fieldwork to explore natural and cultural landscapes” and “Mixes up lines of longitude and latitude” in “Scale, lines of latitude and longitude, and map keys”. When an answer is wrong, the app shows how to think it through instead of just marking it wrong, and the parent panel shows what your child is practising right now.
Does Lärkompis follow Lgr22 in social studies in Year 4?
Yes. Every exercise in social studies in Year 4 is linked to an item in the Lgr22 core content for Years 4–6; 22 of 50 items in social studies (geography, history, religion and civics) have at least one linked skill. Lärkompis is a complement at home and does not replace teaching.
How much does it cost to practise social studies in Year 4 with Lärkompis?
Lärkompis costs SEK 49, once, for all subjects and every child in the family, with future updates included. You can try social studies in Year 4 for free first, without an account.
More years and subjects
The same year in other subjects:
