article with your child, stop as you encounter pictures, maps, and charts to look at them and examine their connection to what you are reading. Reading for Text Grade 4 Standard 8 (RI.4.8) Students must be able to describe how an author uses proof, examples, etc to support different points in a text. Ask your child… “Why does the author argue/think…?” “What reasons does the author give to support his/her thinking about…?” Read the text with your child. Then watch the video together to review how authors use evidence to support their claims. Reading for Text Grade 4 Standard 9 (RI.4.9) Students must be able to apply and combine information from two different texts about the same subject to form their own written or oral responses to or reports on a topic. Ask your child… “What is similar about these two texts and the points they raise?” Assist your child in taking notes on a single topic from multiple texts. Ask him/her… “What are the most important information, main ideas, key details, etc from each text?” Print this graphic organizer for your child to use as a guide. Print this activity sheet for your child to practice.
Reading for Text Grade 4 Standard 10 (RI.4.10) By the end of the year, students should be able to read and understand grade-level social studies and science textbooks and other articles in these subject areas. Spend time reading social studies and science textbooks and articles with your child. Consider subscribing to a kids’ magazine through , , , or another publishing company. Read to your child frequently, but also encourage him/her to read independently. Set aside a daily reading time in your household. Model reading informational texts independently by reading newspapers and other articles while your child reads his/her textbook or another informational text. Read the text with your child. Then watch the video lesson to help him/her learn how to use text features and skim to improve understanding.
Reading Skills Grade 4 Standard 4 (RF.4.4) Students must be able to read with enough accuracy and fluency so that they understand what they are reading. Often, if students are struggling to pronounce words or read fluency, they do not understand what they read. A student who comprehends what he reads will: read a grade-level text and understand why he/she is reading it and what it means. read both prose and poems out loud with accuracy, appropriate speed, and in an expressive manner. Students will be able to do this multiple times without a problem. use clues in the surrounding sentences to understand words they might be familiar with. This might require that students go back and reread certain parts of a text. Practice reading prose and poetry out loud with your child. Provide your child with feedback. For example, “It seems you are reading a bit slow in this part of the poem,” or, “Can you show more excitement when you read this line?” Allow your child to read the same book(s) to you often, so that he can see how much he is improving. Remind your child to reread when what he/she read does not make sense. Help your child look for clues to help him/her understand new words. Do not just tell him/her what the word means. Discover the meaning together. Use these tips to help your child read for meaning. Print the poetry sheets. Practice reading them aloud with your child. Watch these videos with your child to review the strategy of using context clues.
WRITING STANDARDS Parent Notes Code What does this standard mean? What can I do at home? Resources Writing Grade 4 Standard 1 (W.4.1) Students must be able to express and back up their own opinions in writing. They must be able to: Introduce the topic or text they are writing about, state their opinions on the topic, and organize their argument by linking related ideas together. Provide details and facts about the reasons they are using to support their argument. Use words such as “for instance,” “therefore,” and “in order to” to connect opinion and reasons. End their argument with a conclusion that ties everything together. Encourage your child to write opinion pieces about books you read together or other ideas you discuss at home. Before your child writes his/her opinion piece, help him/her organize his work by brainstorming and writing down some ideas first. Ask your child to identify his/her introduction, reasons, and conclusions. If he/she did not include all of these components, help him/her edit his/her writing to include all of these components. Write an opinion piece on the same topic or a different topic. Watch this video with your child to help him/her construct a strong introduction to an opinion piece. Watch this video with your child to review with him/her how to use reasons to support an opinion. Use this video to help your child review how to link opinions and reasons in an opinion piece. Watch this video with your child to assist him/her in concluding an opinion piece.
the narrator and/or characters and organize a natural sequence of events. Include dialogue and detailed descriptions to show and describe the feelings, thoughts, and actions of the characters. Use transitional words and phrases to move along the sequence of events. Use specific and vivid words and phrases and sensory details to describe experiences and events. End their narrative with a conclusion that ties everything together. piece, help him/her organize his/her work by brainstorming and writing down some ideas first. Ask your child to identify his/her event/sequence of events in order, details and thoughts, and conclusions. If he/she did not include all of these components, help him/her edit his/her writing to include all of these components. Write a narrative piece on the same topic or a different topic. narrative. Watch this video with your child to help him/her review how to add details to narrative writing. Watch this video with your child to help him/her include transition words and phrases in his/her narrative writing. Watch this video with your child to assist him/her in adding specific details to his/her writing. Together with your child, watch this video to review how to write conclusions to narratives. Writing Grade 4 Standard 4 (W.4.4) Students must be able to write pieces that are clearly organized, written coherently, and focused appropriately on a given assignment as described above in standards 1-3 (e.g. opinion piece, Encourage your child to write different pieces about books you read together, ideas, or other events you experience at home. Before your child writes his/her piece, help him/her organize Watch this video with your child to help him/her review how to evaluate his/her own writing.
Eat,” etc), and keep a list of the sources they use. list the sources used. Writing Grade 4 Standard 9 (W.4.9) Students must be able to use strategies for reading literacy and informational texts as they conduct research and write responses to texts. Specifically, they should be able to… (Literary Texts) make references to the text when answering questions, provide detailed descriptions of characters, settings, and/or events, include specific details from the text, and/or identify the main idea or theme. (Informational Texts) draw information from various features of the text (e.g. text, diagrams) to explain the details/facts an author uses to support his/her points and connect information from two separate texts on the same topic. (Refer to Grade 4 Reading Standards – listed above – for further detail about the expectations for literary and informational texts.) As you assist your child in conducting research and preparing to write, ask him/her… “What is the lesson that you learned from that story, fable, etc.?” “How did the author make that lesson clear in the story?” “Where does the story take place? What does that place look, feel, sound, etc like?” “What is similar about these two texts and the points they raise?” Assist your child in taking notes on a single topic from multiple texts. Ask him/her… “What are the most important information, main ideas, key details, etc from each text?” Print this story diagram for your child to use to carefully identify and plan the events of his/her story before writing. Print the activity sheet for you child to use to review including specific details and describing characters. Print this worksheet. Then have your child practice identifying the reasons the author uses to support his/her claims. Writing Grade 4 Standard 10 (W.4.10) Students must be able to regularly write for both extended (multiple occasions focused on same topic and piece) and shorter periods of Provide your child with ample opportunities to engage in writing projects that range across a wide variety of purposes and Watch this video lesson with your child to help him/her practice
Writing Grade 4 Standard 11 (W.4.11) Students must be able to creatively communicate their personal reactions to or feelings about an author or topic they have read about through a poem, story, play, artwork, etc. Talk with your child about what he/she is studying in school. Then help him/her to use pencils, a computer, markers, paint, etc to write and/or draw a response to the author or theme. Give your child an opportunity to present his/her creation to your family, neighbors, etc. Help your child use these creative tools and ideas to respond to a text, author, and/or topic he/she has read.
SPEAKING AND LISTENING STANDARDS Parent Notes Code What does this standard mean? What can I do at home? Resources Speaking and Listening Grade 4 Standard 1 (SL.4.1) Students must be able to respectfully engage in one-on-one and group conversations with a diverse group of individuals about age-appropriate topics and texts. Specifically, they should be able to… be ready to discuss and share thoughts and/or questions about assigned materials with specific references to what they have read (e.g. read an assigned text and be able to have a discussion with classmates about their opinions and questions with explicit mention of information and words from the text). follow appropriate conversational norms – waiting for a turn to speak, appropriately taking a turn, staying on topic etc. ask questions to seek help or clarification about the topic of discussion and link their comments to others’ remarks during a group discussion. clearly explain their own thoughts and ideas as Choose books, articles, or other texts for you and your child to both read independently. Then engage in explicit conversations about what you have read. Encourage your child to refer explicitly to the texts and anything else he/she knows about that topic during your conversations (e.g. “On page 14, he says…;” “I saw a TV episode about this that said…”). Talk with your child in back-and-forth conversations. Model how to listen respectfully – looking at the speaker and not interrupting – and how to stay focused on the topic of conversation. Encourage your child to do the same. When speaking with your child, ask for clarification when necessary and encourage him/her to do the same. Ask… “Can you explain what you mean by that?” “Do you understand what Gather a small group of family members and/or friends and try this activity. Refer to this list of tips and strategies to help guide your child in adhering to conversational norms. Use this list of strategies to encourage higher order thinking and prompt your child to ask his/her own questions. Help your child practice using conversational skills as he/she interviews family members.
commonly confused words (e.g. words that sound the same/similar such as to, too, two). Print the practice sheet and then watch the video with your child to review using prepositional phrases to expand sentences. Print the student practice sheet. Then watch the video with your child to help him/her review run-on sentences. They’re, There, Their To, Too, Two Print the practice sheets. Then watch the video lessons with your child to help him/her review commonly confused words. Language Skills Grade 4 Standard 2 (L.4.2) Students must be able to use standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling rules when writing. Specifically, they should be able to… use uppercase letters as appropriate. use commas and quotation marks in writing dialogue As necessary, offer your child immediate feedback on his/her usage of capitalization, punctuation, and spelling in his/her writing. Explain mistakes and offer concrete praise for accuracy (e.g. “What do you need at the beginning of every sentence?”). When your child needs help Print the practice sheet and help your child complete it while watching the video lesson. Print the student practice sheet. Then watch the video
and quotations (e.g. She said, “I want to play.”). use a comma before a conjunction (e.g. and, but) in a compound sentence (e.g. She wanted to go, but she had soccer practice). use their knowledge of spelling rules to spell 4th grade level words and use available resources (e.g. children’s dictionaries) as necessary. spelling a word, do not simply tell him/her. Encourage him/her to try to spell it phonetically and then check a reference material to confirm. with your child to review how to write quotations. Print the practice sheet. Then watch the lesson with your child to help him/her better understand how to use conjunctions. Print the activity sheets for your child to complete as practice spelling 4th grade level words. Language Skills Grade 4 Standard 3 (L.4.3) Students must be able to understand how language and words are used in context. Specifically, they must be able to choose… specific language that conveys their ideas precisely. punctuation that appropriately conveys the meaning/tone of the sentence. between formal and informal English depending Ask your child… “Who do you think the speaker is talking to when he/she says…? Why?” “How do you think the speaker feels based on [this sentence]. What words, phrases, punctuation, etc made you think that?” Talk with your child about his/her favorite movie, book, etc. Then have him/her write a short letter to his/her teacher about the Descriptive Adverbs Precise Nouns Print the practice sheets. Then watch the video lessons with your child to help him/her review the use of specific language. Print the activity sheets for your child to use to practice
with your child. Language Skills Grade 4 Standard 5 (L.4.5) Students must be able to recognize and use relationships between words and meanings and common nuances. Specifically, they should be able to… define simple similes (e.g. as sharp as a tack) and metaphors (e.g. giant’s steps were thunder from above) in context. identify and define simple idioms (e.g. having cold feet), adages and proverbs (e.g. practice makes perfect). understand relationships between synonyms (words of similar meaning) and antonyms (opposites). Introduce new words and phrases in context when talking to your child. Incorporate nonliteral meanings of words and phrases (e.g. “Your skin is ice after being outside without your coat!”) and explain the alternate meanings to your child. When reading with your child, intentionally point out the use of language nuances. Ask your child… “Who do you think the speaker is talking to when he/she says…? Why?” Read the text with your child. Then watch the video lesson with him/her to review descriptive language in poetry. Watch this video with your child to further familiarize them with common idioms and their meanings. Print the activity sheets for your child to complete. Language Skills Grade 4 Standard 6 (L.4.6) Students must be able to learn (from reading, speaking with others, etc) and use new vocabulary words and phrases – both general terms that appear across academic subjects and vocabulary specific to particular topics studied, including words that refer to precise actions, emotions, or states of mind (e.g., quizzed, whined, stammered) and/or to a specific topic (e.g., wildlife, conservation, and endangered when discussing animal Prompt your child to use new vocabulary when he/she speaks or writes. Ask him/her… “Do you remember another word that means…?” “How do you feel when…?” Encourage your child to use precise language when he/she speaks (e.g. “The boy told his dad Print these activity sheets for your child to use to practice learning new words and integrating them into his/her vocabulary.