Important Things to Know About 4th Grade Learning
Writing
We will be
working hard this year at writing good sentences and paragraphs with correct
capitalization and punctuation. This is usually a weak area for most students.
Our goal is to avoid run-on sentences (several sentences that are run together
to form one, long sentence.)
• You can reinforce
writing by having your child do journal writing and creative writing at home,
too. Have your child read what they wrote to you and help your child edit the
mistakes.
Reading
This year we will be instructing reading by using a combination of whole group
instruction, guided practice and independent practice. The main method we will
use is called Guided Reading.
Guided reading is a teaching method that involves a teacher working with a
small group of students who demonstrate similar reading behaviors and can all
read similar levels of texts. It provides students the help they need, in
smaller groups, to improve their reading skills. Students will be assessed on
their reading of these texts regularly.
Each month we will focus on a specific strategy that all good readers use while
reading independently.
• Predict
• Connect
• Question
• Summarize
• Infer
• Evaluate
• Visualize
• Monitor and Clarify
To reinforce the strategies learned
in the classroom students will be asked to complete a nightly reading log. The
reading log has a place for students to record what strategy they use while
reading as well as what they were thinking while they read. Please make sure
your child reads for 30 minutes each night and you sign their reading log
NIGHTLY.
Math
Students will be
using the Saxon math series this year as they did last year. There is a change
in the format of 4th grade curriculum from what students previously had last year.
• Students will take a
facts test daily. They will vary from addition, subtraction, multiplication or
division.
• There is a stronger
emphasis on problem solving as well. Problem solving emphasizes reasoning and
involves discussing and explaining the process used to solve the method, as
well as the answer it self.
• Students will be asked
to write an extended response to one math word problem each week.
• We will use calculators
at times, but students are expected to know all the basic facts from memory.
Science and Social Studies
In science class
students will participate in different investigations that will help develop
their critical thinking skills. We will study many different topics such as:
· scientific
method
· animal
traits and adaptations
· matter
· space
· weather
& natural disasters
In social studies we will start
the year off reviewing and strengthening our map skills. Then students will
travel around the United States learning about the different regions of our
country. We will study the regions geography, economy, and history.
Homework
Homework will be given in fourth grade.
The suggested amount of homework time is approximately an hour and a half per
evening.
However,
homework does not always have to be written work. Here is a list of things that
your child may do on evenings when written work is not assigned.
• Read books
• Study spelling words
• Study math facts (flash
cards work well)
• Practice cursive
writing
Correct mistakes on returned work