4th grade curriculum at IWIA is based on the Georgia Performance Standards.
In the fourth grade, students expand and deepen their knowledge of reading, writing, and speaking, as well as their understanding of the connections among different types of communication. Fourth grade students read and comprehend texts from a variety of genres (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama), and they can understand and learn from texts without having a teacher preview the material for them. Students also read and understand informational texts from other subject areas in addition to language arts. As they read, students in the fourth grade independently use a variety of metacognitive strategies to deepen and expand their understanding of the material. These strategies include using self-questioning techniques when reading materials seem contradictory or hard to understand.
Students use writing as a tool for learning, and they write for a variety of purposes and audiences. Fourth graders write daily in order to maximize and formalize their writing skills. Students communicate their personal voices in writing, expressing ideas through journals, notes, and e-mail. Students are aware of the connections between reading and writing, and they begin to use reading and writing strategies interchangeably. These students are ready for opportunities to discuss books and to expand their vocabularies for deeper comprehension of texts. They understand and articulate how authors use a variety of techniques and craft in their writing, and they show evidence of the author’s craft in their own writing.
In their verbal interactions, students communicate effectively with different audiences. Fourth graders engage in student-to-student and student-to-teacher interactions about a variety of texts and concepts. They use appropriate conversational skills, and they speak in turns rather than all at once during group interaction. Students participate in a cooperative learning environment, and they move independently around the room to gain information from other students. Fourth graders are also ready for more complex assignments that ask them to use sources to inform their oral and written discussions of topics.
Reading
In reading a text closely, the student works carefully to discern the author’s perspective and the particular facts and details that support it. The student reads thoughtfully and purposefully, constantly checking for understanding of the author’s intent and meaning so that the interpretation will be sound.
ELA4R1 The student demonstrates comprehension and shows evidence of a warranted and responsible explanation of a variety of literary and informational texts.
ELA4R2 The student consistently reads at least twenty-five books or book equivalents (approximately 1,000,000 words) each year. The materials should include traditional and contemporary literature (both fiction and non-fiction) as well as magazines, newspapers, textbooks, and electronic material. Such reading should represent a diverse collection of material from at least three different literary forms and from at least five different writers.ELA4R3 The student understands and acquires new vocabulary and uses it correctly in reading and writing.
ELA4R4 The student reads aloud, accurately (in the range of 95%), familiar material in a variety of genres, in a way that makes meaning clear to listeners.
Writing
The student writes clear, coherent text that develops a central idea or tells a story. The writing shows consideration of the audience and purpose. The student progresses through the stages of the writing process (e.g., prewriting, drafting, revising, and editing successive versions).
ELA4W1 The student produces writing that establishes an appropriate organizational structure, sets a context and engages the reader, maintains a coherent focus throughout, and signals a satisfying closure.
ELA4W2 The student demonstrates competence in a variety of genres.
ELA4W3 The student uses research and technology to support writing.
ELA4W4 The student consistently uses a writing process to develop, revise, and evaluate writing.
Conventions
Conventions are essential for reading, writing, and speaking. Instruction in language conventions will, therefore, occur within the context of reading, writing, and speaking, rather than in isolation. The student writes to make connections with the larger world. A student’s ideas are more likely to be taken seriously when the words are spelled accurately and the sentences are grammatically correct. Use of Standard English conventions helps readers understand and follow the student’s meaning, while errors can be distracting and confusing. Standard English conventions are the "good manners" of writing and speaking that make communication fluid.
ELA4C1 The student demonstrates understanding and control of the rules of the English language, realizing that usage involves the appropriate application of conventions and grammar in both written and spoken formats.
Listening/Speaking/Viewing
The student demonstrates an understanding of listening, speaking, and viewing skills for a variety of purposes. The student listens critically and responds appropriately to oral communication in a variety of genres and media. The student speaks in a manner that guides the listener to understand important ideas.
ELA4LSV1 The student participates in student-to-teacher, student-to-student, and group verbal interactions.
ELA4LSV2 The student listens to and views various forms of text and media in order to gather and share information, persuade others, and express and understand ideas.