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Fourth Grade Common Learning StandardsELALiteratureThe following standards offer a focus for instruction each year and help ensure that students gain adequate
exposure to a range of texts and tasks. Rigor is also infused through the requirement that students read
increasingly complex texts through the grades. Students advancing through the grades are expected to meet
each year’s grade-specific standards and retain or further develop skills and understandings mastered in
preceding grades.Key Ideas and Details1. Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing
inferences from the text.
2. Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize the text.
3. Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text
(e.g. a character’s thoughts, words, or actions).
Craft and Structure
4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including those that allude to
significant characters found in mythology (e.g., Herculean).
5. Explain major differences between poems, drama, and prose, and refer to the structural elements of poems
(e.g., verse, rhythm, meter) and drama (e.g., casts of characters, settings, descriptions, dialogue, stage
directions) when writing or speaking about a text.
6. Compare and contrast the point of view from which different stories are narrated, including the difference
between first- and third-person narrations.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
7. Make connections between the text of a story or drama and a visual or oral presentation of the text,
identifying where each version reflects specific descriptions and directions in the text.
8. (Not applicable to literature)
9. Compare and contrast the treatment of similar themes and topics (e.g., opposition of good and evil) and
patterns of events (e.g., the quest) in stories, myths, and traditional literature from different cultures.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
10. By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, in the grades
4–5 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
Responding to Literature
11. Recognize, interpret and make connections in narratives, poetry, and drama, to other texts, ideas,
cultural perspectives, personal events and situations.
a. Self-select text based upon personal preferences.Information TextKey Ideas and Details1. Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing
inferences from the text.
2. Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text.
3. Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what
happened and why, based on specific information in the text.
Craft and Structure
4. Determine the meaning of general academic and domain specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a
grade 4 topic or subject area.
5. Describe the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events,
ideas, concepts, or information in a text or part of a text.
6. Compare and contrast a firsthand and secondhand account of the same event or topic; describe the
differences in focus and the information provided.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
7. Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g., in charts, graphs, diagrams, time
lines, animations, or interactive elements on Web pages) and explain how the information contributes to an
understanding of the text in which it appears.
8. Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text.
9. Integrate information from two texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject
knowledgeably.Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity10. By the end of year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and
technical texts, in the grades 4–5 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high
end of the range.Foundational SkillsThese standards are directed toward fostering students’ understanding and working knowledge of concepts
of print, the alphabetic principle, and other basic conventions of the English writing system. These
foundational skills are not an end in and of themselves; rather, they are necessary and important components
of an effective, comprehensive reading program designed to develop proficient readers with the capacity to
comprehend texts across a range of types and disciplines. Instruction should be differentiated: good readers
will need much less practice with these concepts than struggling readers will. The point is to teach students
what they need to learn and not what they already know-to discern when particular children or activities
warrant more or less attention.Phonics and Word Recognition1. Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
a. Use combined knowledge of all letter-sound correspondences, syllabication patterns, and
morphology (e.g., roots and affixes) to read accurately unfamiliar multisyllabic words in
context and out of context.Fluency2. Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
a. Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding.
b. Read grade-level prose and poetry orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on
successive readings.
c. Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as
necessary.WritingThe following standards for K-5 offer a focus for instruction each year to help ensure that students gain
adequate mastery of a range of skills and applications. Each year in their writing, students should
demonstrate increasing sophistication in all aspects of language use, from vocabulary and syntax to the
development and organization of ideas, and they should address increasingly demanding content and sources.
Students advancing through the grades are expected to meet each year’s grade-specific standards and retain
or further develop skills and understandings mastered in preceding grades.Text Types and Purposes1. Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.
a. Introduce a topic or text clearly, state an opinion, and create an organizational structure in which related
ideas are grouped to support the writer’s purpose.
b. Provide reasons that are supported by facts and details.
c. Link opinion and reasons using words and phrases (e.g., for instance, in order to, in addition).
d. Provide a concluding statement or section related to the opinion presented.
2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
a. Introduce a topic clearly and group related information in paragraphs and sections; include formatting
(e.g. headings), illustrations, and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
b. Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples
related to the topic.
c. Link ideas within categories of information using words and phrases (e.g., another, for example, also, because).
d. Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
e. Provide a concluding statement or section related to the information or explanation presented.
3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive
details, and clear event sequences.
a. Orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an
event sequence that unfolds naturally.
b. Use dialogue and description to develop experiences and events or show the responses of characters to
situations.
c. Use a variety of transitional words and phrases to manage the sequence of events.
d. Use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences and events precisely.
e. Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events.
Production and Distribution of Writing
4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task,
purpose, and audience.
5. With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning,
revising, and editing.
6. With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish
writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding
skills to type a minimum of one page in a single sitting.
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
7. Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.
8. Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources;
take notes and categorize information, and provide a list of sources.
9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
a. Apply grade 4 Reading standards to literature (e.g., “Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a
story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text [e.g., a character’s thoughts, words, or actions].”).
b. Apply grade 4 Reading standards to informational texts (e.g., “Explain how an author uses reasons and
evidence to support particular points in a text”).
Range of Writing
9. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time
frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
11. Create and present a poem, narrative, play, art work, or literary review in response to a particular author or
theme studied in class.
Speaking and Listening
The following standards for K-5 offer a focus for instruction each year to help ensure that students gain
adequate mastery of a range of skills and applications.Comprehension and Collaboration1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse
partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
a. Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation
and other information known about the topic to explore ideas under discussion.
b. Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions and carry out assigned roles.
c. Pose and respond to specific questions to clarify or follow up on information, and make comments that
contribute to the discussion and link to the remarks of others.
d. Review the key ideas expressed and explain their own ideas and understanding in light of the discussion.
e. Seek to understand and communicate with individuals
2. Summarize a written text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually,
quantitatively, and orally.
3. Paraphrase portions of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including
visually, quantitatively, and orally.
4. Identify the reasons and evidence a speaker provides to support particular points.Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas1. Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience in an organized manner, using appropriate
facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable
pace.
2. Add audio recordings and visual displays to presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of
main ideas or themes
3. Differentiate between contexts that call for formal English (e.g., presenting ideas) and situations where
informal discourse is appropriate (e.g., small-group discussion); use formal English when appropriate to task and
situation.LanguageConventions of Standard English1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
a. Use relative pronouns (who, whose, whom, which, that) and relative adverbs (where, when, why).
b. Form and use the progressive (e.g., I was walking; I am walking; I will be walking) verb tenses.
c. Use modal auxiliaries (e.g., can, may, must) to convey various conditions.
d. Order adjectives within sentences according to conventional patterns (e.g., a small red bag rather than a red
small bag).
e. Form and use prepositional phrases.
f. Produce complete sentences, recognizing and correcting inappropriate fragments and run-ons.*
g. Correctly use frequently confused words (e.g., to, too, two; there, their).*
2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when
writing.
a. Use correct capitalization.
b. Use commas and quotation marks to mark direct speech and quotations from a text.
c. Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction in a compound sentence.
d. Spell grade-appropriate words correctly, consulting references as needed.Knowledge of Language3. Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
a. Choose words and phrases to convey ideas precisely.*
b. Choose punctuation for effect.*
c. Differentiate between contexts that call for formal English (e.g., presenting ideas) and situations where
informal discourse is appropriate (e.g., small-group discussion).
4. Paraphrase portions of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including
visually, quantitatively, and orally.
5. Identify the reasons and evidence a speaker provides to support particular points.
6. Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience in an organized manner, using appropriate
facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable
pace.
7. ort on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience in an organized manner, using appropriate facts
and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace.
8. 8 Differentiate between contexts that call for formal English (e.g., presenting ideas) and situations where
informal discourse is appropriate (e.g., small-group discussion); use formal English when appropriate to task
and situation.Vocabulary Acquisition and Use9. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 4
reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
a. Use context (e.g., definitions, examples, or restatements in text) as a clue to the meaning of a word or
phrase.
b. Use common, grade-appropriate Greek and Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g.,
telegraph, photograph, autograph).
c. Consult reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the
pronunciation and determine or clarify the precise meaning of key words and phrases.
10. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
a. Explain the meaning of simple similes and metaphors (e.g., as pretty as a picture) in context.
b. Recognize and explain the meaning of common idioms, adages, and proverbs.
c. Demonstrate understanding of words by relating them to their opposites (antonyms) and to words with
similar but not identical meanings (synonyms).
11. 11.Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases,
including those that signal precise actions, emotions, or states of being (e.g., quizzed, whined, stammered) and
that are basic to a particular topic (e.g., wildlife, conservation, and endangered when discussing animal
preservation).
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