Welcome to Fourth Grade

“Where the Focus is on the Child"

The goal of the Fourth Grade Team is to facilitate student learning through quality instruction. The teachers collaborate to provide engaging learning opportunities supportive of the https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Learning-Standards.aspx 

Fourth Grade is an exciting time for students to discover individual learning styles while becoming independent learners. Teachers help nurture student growth through instructional scaffolding and modeling which leads to success. A goal is for children to take ownership of their learning and demonstrate responsibility and achievement.

In English Language Arts, reading comprehension and writing is a major focus. Reading novels and books with whole group and small groups continue throughout the year. In addition, Fourth Graders are expected to read independently for 20 minutes every day. The Fourth Grade Reading book focuses on complex fiction and nonfiction stories. The themes correlate to Science and Social Studies topics. Spelling and vocabulary words are integrated weekly with each story. The concepts taught through literature and grammar will be reinforced through narrative, persuasive, expository and poetic writing.

In Math, students continue to study multiplication and division facts. Knowing facts is necessary when children begin to study long division, fractions and decimals along with converting measurement. Homework should be expected every night. The Math curriculum is driven by research-based textbooks (https://www-k6.thinkcentral.com/ePC/start.do) and https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Learning-Standards.aspx.  

The Fourth Grade curriculum is based on the: Next Generation Science Standards   (https://connected.mcgraw-hill.com/connected/pictorialLoginSchool.do?code=g8u0). Students will study energy, waves, structure, function and information processing. They also study Earth systems: processes that shape the Earth and engineering design. Students will experience and conduct inquiry based activities in a laboratory setting. A Science Fair is held in the spring to showcase student learning of the scientific method.

Major topics of study for Social Science include regions of the United States: geography, climate and economy. Fourth Grade Students will also learn map skills and extensive study of states and their capital cities. These concepts will also be interwoven in both the literacy and science curriculums.