Fourth Grade brings many changes for children. Students are expected to be able to work independently for longer amounts of time, be responsible for assignments and finishing work, and practice organizational skills. Any work not finished at school is expected to be finished for homework. Students will also be switching classes for Language Arts/Writing, Reading and Math which will require a higher level of responsibility and organization.
Reading
Students are expected to be able to read grade level materials, as the emphasis is not so much on “learning to read”, as it is on “reading to learn.” There will be more reading in the content areas, as well as reading for pleasure. Students are expected to be able to read silently for longer periods of time. Students will also need to develop higher level thinking skills to develop their comprehension of reading material. These higher level thinking skills will be tested on the TAKS reading test in the spring.
English/Writing
Student will write a lot in fourth grade. Four kinds of writing will be taught: narrative, persuasive, informative, and classificatory. Each king of writing has a different purpose, and students will learn how to make that purpose clear. Rules of grammar, punctuation, and spelling will be practiced and students will be expected to apply those rules to their everyday writing.
Spelling
Students will have a different list of “word wall words” for each month. These will be the most frequently misspelled words that children are expected to have spelled correctly on the TAKS writing test. These words will be practiced in class and once a word is introduced, students will be expected to spell it correctly each time it is used.
Math
The focus for 4th grade math is problem solving, and a variety of problem solving strategies will be taught. Students will need to memorize addition and subtraction facts as well as their multiplication facts.
Social Studies
Social Studies in 4th grade concentrates on the geography and history of Texas. Students will practice reading maps, table, graphs, and diagrams. They will also use reference sources for information.
Science
Selected topics in life, earth, and physical science are studied in 4th grade. Using the scientific method of inquiry, students will have an opportunity to investigate and understand many science concepts. Students will also have access to a science lab lesson every month which will involve a hands-on science experiment to accompany the chapter currently being taught.
TAKS Test
The 4th grade writing TAKS is given in February. The math and reading TAKS rest are given in April Benchmark testing and practice tests will be given often during the year to diagnose strengths and weaknesses and to determine areas where remediation may be needed.