Grade 4

Reading Standards: Literature

Reading Standards: Informational Text

Reading Standards: Foundational Skills

Writing Standards

Speaking and Listening Standards

Language Standards

Key Ideas and Details

Craft and Structure

Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity

Key Ideas and Details

Craft and Structure

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

Phonics and Word Recognition

Fluency

Handwriting

Text Types and Purposes

Text Types and Purposes

Production and Distribution of Writing

Research to Build and Present Knowledge

Range of Writing

Comprehension and Collaboration

Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas

Conventions of Standard English

Vocabulary Acquisition and Use

Refer to details and examplesin a text when explaining what the textsays explicitly and when drawing inferencesfrom the text.

Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from detailsin the text;summarize the text.

Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific detailsin the text (e.g., a character’s thoughts, words, or actions).

Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including those that allude to significant charactersfound in mythology (e.g., Herculean).

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.

Compare and contrast the point of view from which different stories are narrated, including the difference between first- and third-person narrations.

Make connections between the text of a story or drama and a visual or oral presentation of the text, identifying where each version reflectsspecific descriptions and directionsin the text. 

Not applicable to literature

Compare and contrast the treatment ofsimilar 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.

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.

Refer to details and examplesin a text when explaining what the textsays explicitly and when drawing inferencesfrom the text.

Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details;summarize the text.

Explain events, procedures, ideas, or conceptsin a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.

Determine the meaning of general academic and domainspecific words or phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area.

Describe the overallstructure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in a text or part of a text.

Compare and contrast a firsthand and secondhand account of the same event or topic; describe the differences in focus and the information provided.

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.

Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text.

Integrate information from two texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.

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.

Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysisskillsin decoding words.

Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

Create readable documents with legible handwriting (cursive).

Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.

Write informative/explanatory textsto examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.

Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear eventsequences.

Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectationsfor writing types are defined in standards 1–3.)

With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing. (Editing for conventionsshould demonstrate command of Language standards 1–3 up to and including grade 4.)

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.

Conductshort research projectsthat build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.

Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digitalsources; take notes and categorize information, and provide a list ofsources.

Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

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.

Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (oneon-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

Paraphrase portions of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.

Identify the reasons and evidence a speaker provides to support particular points.

Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience in an organized manner, using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive detailsto support main ideas or themes;speak clearly at an understandable pace.

Add audio recordings and visual displaysto presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes.

Differentiate between contextsthat 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. (See grade 4 Language standards 1 and 3 forspecific expectations.)

Demonstrate command of the conventions ofstandard English grammar and usage when writing orspeaking.

Demonstrate command of the conventions ofstandard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, orlistening.

Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiplemeaning words and phrases based on grade 4 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range ofstrategies.

Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuancesin word meanings.

Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal precise actions, emotions, or statements 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).

Use combined knowledge of all letter-sound correspondences,syllabication patterns, and morphology (e.g., roots and affixes) to read accurately unfamiliar multisyllabic wordsin context and out of context.

Read on-level text with purpose and understanding.

Read on-level prose and poetry orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings.

Use context to confirm orself-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary.

Introduce a topic or text clearly, state an opinion, and create an organizationalstructure in which related ideas are grouped to support the writer’s purpose.

Provide reasonsthat are supported by facts and details.

Link opinion and reasons using words and phrases (e.g., for instance, in order to, in addition).

Provide a concluding statement orsection related to the opinion presented.

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.

Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examplesrelated to the topic.

Link ideas within categories of information using words and phrases(e.g., another, for example, also, because).

Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.

Provide a concluding statement orsection related to the information or explanation presented.

Orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally.

Use dialogue and description to develop experiences and events orshow the responses of characters to situations. 

Use a variety of transitional words and phrases to manage the sequence of events.

Use concrete words and phrases and sensory detailsto convey experiences and events precisely.

Provide a conclusion that followsfrom the narrated experiences or events.

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'sthoughts, words, or actions].").

Apply grade 4 Reading standards to informational texts (e.g., "Explain how an author usesreasons and evidence to support particular pointsin a text.").

Come to discussions prepared, having read orstudied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation and other information known about the topic to explore ideas under discussion.

Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions and carry out assigned roles.

Pose and respond to specific questionsto clarify or follow up on information, and make commentsthat contribute to the discussion and link to the remarks of others.

Review the key ideas expressed and explain their own ideas and understanding in light of the discussion.

Use relative pronouns (who, whose, whom, which, that) and relative adverbs(where, when, why).

Form and use the progressive (e.g., I was walking; I am walking; I will be walking) verb tenses. 

Use modal auxiliaries(e.g., can, may, must) to convey various conditions.

Order adjectives within sentences according to conventional patterns(e.g., a small red bag rather than a red small bag).

Form and use prepositional phrases.

Produce complete sentences, recognizing and correcting inappropriate fragments and run-ons.

Correctly use frequently confused words(e.g., to, too, two; there, their).

Use correct capitalization.

Use commas and quotation marksto mark directspeech and quotations from a text.

Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction in a compoundsentence.

Spell grade-appropriate words correctly, consulting references as needed.

Choose words and phrasesto convey ideas precisely.

Choose punctuation for effect.

Differentiate between contextsthat call for formal English (e.g., presenting ideas) and situations where informal discourse is appropriate (e.g.,small-group discussion). 

Use context (e.g., definitions, examples, orstatements in text) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

Use common, grade-appropriate Greek and Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., telegraph, photograph, autograph).

Consultreference 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.

Explain the meaning ofsimple similes and metaphors (e.g., as pretty as a picture) in context.

Recognize and explain the meaning of common idioms, adages, and proverbs.

Demonstrate understanding of words by relating them to their opposites (antonyms) and to words with similar but not identical meanings(synonyms).