4th Grade English

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ELA-04.L

Grade 4

Language Strand

Narrative for the Language Strand:

As they move through formal schooling, students must gain control over the many conventions of standard English grammar, usage, and mechanics. They must also learn various ways to convey meaning effectively. Language standards include the rules of standard written and spoken English as well as the use of language as craft and informed choice among alternatives. Fourth grade students gain control over proper use of pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, and other parts of speech, produce simple, compound, and complex sentences, and demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

English grammar conventions, knowledge of language, and vocabulary extend across reading, writing, speaking, and listening and, in fact, are inseparable from these contexts. As students grow in their understanding of patterns of English grammar, they can use this knowledge to make more purposeful and effective choices in their writing and speaking and more accurate and rich interpretations in their speaking and listening.

Continued work on reading comprehension standards will heighten student abilities to read more complex literature (fiction) text. Teachers use assessment and observation to determine if students are ready to progress to more challenging reading selections. Each child is unique, so be flexible, and trust your judgment as you assist your child. Together teachers and parents can help students make better choices when selecting books to read. Not all selections children read must be in the level suggested by assessment, these levels serve as a guideline. Sometimes high interest in a topic allows success in a more difficult text, and sometimes simple text is more inviting to our children, balance is important. Developing successful, life-long readers is our ultimate goal.

How to help your child with the standards in the Language Strand:

Engage your child in conversations every day. If possible, include new and interesting words in your conversation.
When coming across unknown words, encourage your child to use diagrams, labels or reference materials (glossaries, dictionaries....) to find out what the definition is
Encourage your child to read on his own. The more children read, the more words they encounter and learn.
Encourage your child to "bump up" the vocabulary words they use in their writing. Help them by finding synonyms for simple words (using enormous instead of the word big)

Resources

Calculation Method for Strands

Strands are larger groups of related standards. The Strand Grade is a calculation of all the related standards. Click on the standard name below each strand to access the learning targets and proficiency scales for each strand's related standards.

ELA-04.L.01

4th Grade (ELA) Targeted Standard
(L) Strand: Language
Cluster: Conventions of Standard English

ELA-04.L.01 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

Sub-Standards:

Introduce:

a. Rearrange complete simple and compound sentences of a variety of lengths.
b. Ensure pronoun-antecedent agreement.
c. Explain and use linking verbs.
d. Use verb tense to convey various times and sequences.
e. Use relative pronouns (who, whose, whom, which, that).
f. Use relative adverbs (where, when, why).
g. Use correlative conjunctions (e.g., either/or, neither/nor).
h. Use coordinating and subordinating conjunctions.
i. Explain the function of coordinating conjunctions.

Practice:

j. Produce complete sentences, recognizing and correcting inappropriate fragments and run-ons.
k. Produce complex and compound-complex sentences.
l. Use possessive nouns.
m. Form and use the progressive (e.g., I was walking; I am walking; I will be walking) verb tenses.
n. Form and use the perfect (e.g., I had walked; I have walked; I will walk) verb tenses.
o. Use helping and modal auxiliaries (e.g., can, may, must) to convey various conditions.
p. Resolve issues of complex of contested usage, consulting reliable references as needed.

Display proficiency in:

q. Ensure subject verb-agreement.
r. Produce compound sentences.
s. Use regular plural nouns orally by adding /s/ or /es/.
t. Form and use regular and irregular plural nouns.
u. Use abstract nouns (e.g., childhood).
v. Form and use regular and irregular verbs.
w. Form and use comparative and superlative adjectives and choose between them depending on what is to be modified.
x. Explain the function of an adjective.
y. Form and use comparative and superlative adverbs and choose between them depending on what is to be modified.
z. Form and use prepositional phrases.

Student Learning Targets:

Knowledge Targets

I can

Reasoning Targets

I can

Skills (Performance) Targets

I can

Proficiency Scale

The Student Will ...

1 Beginning

... with help, demonstrates a partial understanding of some of the simpler details and processes (Score 2.0 content) and some of the more complex ideas and processes (Score 3.0 content).

Start

2 Developing

... demonstrates no major errors or omissions regarding the simpler details and processes but exhibits major errors or omissions regarding the more complex ideas and processes (Score 3.0 content).

Simple

3 Proficient

“The Standard.”
... demonstrates no major errors or omissions regarding any of the information and processes that were end of instruction expectations.

Target

4 Advanced

... demonstrates in-depth inferences and applications regarding more complex material that go beyond end of instruction expectations.

Complex

Resources

Vocabulary

LIST

LIST

LIST

Websites

Links to sites that open in a new window

ELA-04.L.02

4th Grade (ELA) Targeted Standard
(L) Strand: Language
Cluster: Conventions of Standard English

ELA-04.L.02 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

Proficiency Scale

Sub-Standards:

Practice:

a. Use commas and quotation marks in dialogue.
b. Form and use possessives.
c. Add prefixes and suffixes to base words (e.g., sitting, smiled, cries, happiness).
d. Use a comma to separate an introductory element from the rest of a sentence.

e. Use underlining, quotation marks, or italics to indicate titles of works.
f. Spell grade-appropriate words correctly, consulting references as needed and/or using spelling patterns and generalizations (e.g., word families, position-based spelling, syllable patterns, ending rules, meaningful word parts).

Display proficiency in:

g. Use commas and quotation marks to mark direct speech and quotations from a text.
h. Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction in a compound sentence.
i. Use punctuation to separate items in a series.
j. Use a comma to set off the words yes and no (e.g., Yes, thank you), to set off a tag question from the rest of the sentence (e.g., It’s true, isn’t it?) and to indicate direct address (e.g., Is that you, Steve?).

ELA-04.L.03

4th Grade (ELA) Targeted Standard
(L) Strand: Language
Cluster: Knowledge of Language

ELA-04.L.03 Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.

Sub-Standards:

a. Choose words and phrases to convey ideas precisely.
b. Choose punctuation for effect.

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