4th Grade
ELA: Building the stamina and skills to read challenging fiction, nonfiction, and other materials is fundamental in 4th grade. Your child will continue to learn about the world as well as build vocabulary skills by reading more complicated stories and poems from different cultures and a range of books on history, science, art, and music.
Fourth grade students also will make important strides in their ability to explain plainly and in detail what a book says — both explicitly and what is implied from its details. By 4th grade, your child will be writing effective summaries, book reports, and descriptions of characters or events that use correct grammar and punctuation.
ELA: a sample of what 4th graders will learn:
■ Describing the basic elements of stories — such
as characters, events, and settings — by drawing
on specific details in the text
■ Paying close attention to key features of
informational books and articles: these include
understanding the main and supporting ideas;
being able to compare and contrast information;
and explaining how the author uses facts, details,
and evidence to support particular points
■ Comparing ideas, characters, events, and settings
in stories and myths from different cultures
■ Writing summaries or opinions about topics
supported with a set of well-organized facts,
details, and examples
■ Independently conducting short research projects
on different aspects of a topic using evidence
from books and the Internet
■ Paraphrasing and responding to information
presented in discussions, such as comparing and
contrasting ideas and analyzing evidence that
speakers use to support particular points
■ Reporting orally on a topic or telling a story with
enough facts and details
■ Writing complete sentences with correct
capitalization and spelling
■ Relating words that are common in reading to
words with similar meanings (synonyms) and to
their opposites (antonyms)
ple of What Your Child Will Be Working
as characters, events, and settings — by drawing
on specific details in the text
■ Paying close attention to key features of
informational books and articles: these include
understanding the main and supporting ideas;
being able to compare and contrast information;
and explaining how the author uses facts, details,
and evidence to support particular points
■ Comparing ideas, characters, events, and settings
in stories and myths from different cultures
■ Writing summaries or opinions about topics
supported with a set of well-organized facts,
details, and examples
■ Independently conducting short research projects
on different aspects of a topic using evidence
from books and the Internet
■ Paraphrasing and responding to information
presented in discussions, such as comparing and
contrasting ideas and analyzing evidence that
speakers use to support particular points
■ Reporting orally on a topic or telling a story with
enough facts and details
■ Writing complete sentences with correct
capitalization and spelling
■ Relating words that are common in reading to
words with similar meanings (synonyms) and to
their opposites (antonyms)
ple of What Your Child Will Be Working
MATH: In 4th grade, your child will gain important new skills while continuing to build on what he or she learned the previous year. One of the main areas studied in 4th grade is arithmetic and applying it to solve problems. This is an important life skill, and your child should make significant strides in this area during the year. Your child will also build knowledge and skills with fractions to prepare for mastering this topic in 5th and 6th grades. These skills will help ensure your child is ready for algebra and advanced math.
MATH: a sample of what 4th graders will learn:
■ Using whole-number arithmetic to solve word
problems, including problems with remainders and
problems with measurements
■ Adding and subtracting whole numbers quickly
and accurately (numbers up to 1 million)
■ Multiplying and dividing multi-digit numbers in
simple cases (e.g., multiplying 1,638 × 7 or 24 × 17,
and dividing 6,966 by 6)
■ Understanding and applying equivalent fractions
(e.g., recognizing that 1⁄4 is less than 3⁄8 because 2⁄8
is less than 3⁄8)
■ Adding, subtracting, and multiplying fractions
in simple cases (such as 2 3⁄4 - 1 1⁄4 or 3 × 5⁄8), and
solving related word problems
■ Understanding simple decimals in terms of
fractions (e.g., rewriting 0.62 as 62⁄100)
■ Measuring angles and finding unknown angles in
a diagram
A Sample of What Your Child Will Be Working on in 4th Grade
problems, including problems with remainders and
problems with measurements
■ Adding and subtracting whole numbers quickly
and accurately (numbers up to 1 million)
■ Multiplying and dividing multi-digit numbers in
simple cases (e.g., multiplying 1,638 × 7 or 24 × 17,
and dividing 6,966 by 6)
■ Understanding and applying equivalent fractions
(e.g., recognizing that 1⁄4 is less than 3⁄8 because 2⁄8
is less than 3⁄8)
■ Adding, subtracting, and multiplying fractions
in simple cases (such as 2 3⁄4 - 1 1⁄4 or 3 × 5⁄8), and
solving related word problems
■ Understanding simple decimals in terms of
fractions (e.g., rewriting 0.62 as 62⁄100)
■ Measuring angles and finding unknown angles in
a diagram
A Sample of What Your Child Will Be Working on in 4th Grade
Need a dictionary?: https://www.dictionary.com/
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Need just the right synonym?: https://www.thesaurus.com/
Need to bone up on some math skills?
SUCCESS TIP: Children need help and support at home to succeed in their studies. Try to create a quiet place for your child to study, and carve out time every day when your child can concentrate on reading, writing, and math uninterrupted by friends, brothers or sisters, or other distractions.