4-Language

4th Grade — Language Arts

In fourth grade, a more integrated approach to reading and writing instruction is introduced to prepare students for the transition to the upper grades. We use Being a Reader and Being a Writer.

Reading

Units of Study

• Building a reading community
• Recognizing text features and questioning in expository fiction
• Analyzing text structure in fiction, narrative nonfiction, expository nonfiction, and drama
• Making inferences in fiction, poetry, and narrative nonfiction
• Determining important ideas and summarizing

Approaches to Learning:

• Making Meaning
• Read alouds
• Independent and shared reading
• Vocabulary instruction
• Book clubs

Writing

Units of Study

• Building the writing community
• Understanding the writing process
• Personal narrative
• Fiction
• Expository nonfiction
• Functional writing
• Opinion writing
• Poetry

Approaches to Learning

• Being a Writer
• Being a Writer skills practice
• Classical Roots
• Spelling instruction and practice
• Explicit instruction in memorization strategies