Academic Adjustments
Reading to Learn vs. Learning to Read
Your child should come in to Fourth Grade reading at an Accelerated Reader zone that includes 4.0 (ie: small chapter books such as The Magic Treehouse Series). Fourth Graders are no longer taught how to sound out or blend letters. Rather, they must use their already developed reading skills to gain information on a variety of fiction and non-fiction topics- a completely different skill set from primary grades, requiring proficient fluency and FULL comprehension.
Critical Thinking in Language Arts
“If on Tuesday a man in a suit is running to catch a bus, where is the man going?” While many places may appropriately answer this question, the most common and implied answer is that the man is headed to work. In fourth grade, your child will be expected to analyze that which is inferred in a passage, based on their knowledge of the world around them.
Vocabulary word association is also incredibly important so that students can fully understand what they are reading. For example, to “address a person” means to speak directly to an individual vs. placing a stamp or an address on their body. To confuse the two meanings would greatly change a child’s understanding of a passage!
Finally, it is important to note that answers to comprehension tests (even in open-book tests) will NOT be found word-for-word in passages. Students must reveal answers by using a variety of learned skills such as inferencing, analyzing fact vs. opinion, clarifying the main idea and supporting sentences, identifying headings, utilizing the glossary, reviewing highlighted or bold words and phrases, etc.
Vocabulary word association is also incredibly important so that students can fully understand what they are reading. For example, to “address a person” means to speak directly to an individual vs. placing a stamp or an address on their body. To confuse the two meanings would greatly change a child’s understanding of a passage!
Finally, it is important to note that answers to comprehension tests (even in open-book tests) will NOT be found word-for-word in passages. Students must reveal answers by using a variety of learned skills such as inferencing, analyzing fact vs. opinion, clarifying the main idea and supporting sentences, identifying headings, utilizing the glossary, reviewing highlighted or bold words and phrases, etc.
Critical Thinking in Math
While your child should have mastered multiplication and division facts, application within word problems and algebraic expressions (yes, ALGEBRA!) demands a different kind of thinking.
Long division becomes necessary to Fourth Graders as well, which means they should be well prepared to divide, multiply, add, then subtract with fluency. Many students do very well with a few of these operations, but struggle with the others. NOW is the time to practice, practice, and practice some more so they are READY to apply what they know!
Finally, as I mentioned, algebra makes a profound appearance in 4th grade. Your child will be expected to add, subtract, multiply, and divide variables in order to solve algebraic equations (some that may include fractions and/or decimals). It is crucial to their academic success (and anxiety levels) that your child has mastered the "basics" of math by the end of the first trimester!
Long division becomes necessary to Fourth Graders as well, which means they should be well prepared to divide, multiply, add, then subtract with fluency. Many students do very well with a few of these operations, but struggle with the others. NOW is the time to practice, practice, and practice some more so they are READY to apply what they know!
Finally, as I mentioned, algebra makes a profound appearance in 4th grade. Your child will be expected to add, subtract, multiply, and divide variables in order to solve algebraic equations (some that may include fractions and/or decimals). It is crucial to their academic success (and anxiety levels) that your child has mastered the "basics" of math by the end of the first trimester!
Expanded Writing Challenges
Although we begin slowly by reviewing sentence structure and developing paragraphs in the first trimester, the second trimester quickly transitions into writing 3-5 paragraph essays. This transition can come as quite a challenge to many students that have not mastered writing a basic 8-11 sentence paragraph. I highly encourage you to ask your child to keep a daily journal, write a story, create a comic, or write a letter to a family member to help foster their creativity in writing, as well as to practice what they have already learned in class!
Report Cards
Grades also become more confusing to your Fourth Grader. What used to qualify as an "S" ranges anywhere from a B- to a C! They don’t necessarily understand what the new letters represent in terms of their grades, or what your expectations of them will be. Please discuss this with your child BEFORE report cards are sent home so that your child is aware of this "new" letter system.
Homework
Students will have Math and Language Arts homework every night to be returned the following day, NOT as a Friday packet. Their total homework time should be around 40 minutes (about 10 minutes more than in 3rd grade).
Studying does not come naturally to many students, however, this year they will be tested on many complicated ideas and will likely need to really review their facts and understanding for several days leading up to a test. Students are always welcome to take their textbooks home (as long as they are returned daily), and it is highly recommended that they take their math notes home for review as well.
Your child will also have a poem to recite every other week (unless we are working on a play), and they may have an occasional report as well. Initially, I know this all will sound overwhelming (your child will certainly agree), however, they are VERY capable of accomplishing this by Fourth Grade and I will do my best to ease them in to the new workload.
Studying does not come naturally to many students, however, this year they will be tested on many complicated ideas and will likely need to really review their facts and understanding for several days leading up to a test. Students are always welcome to take their textbooks home (as long as they are returned daily), and it is highly recommended that they take their math notes home for review as well.
Your child will also have a poem to recite every other week (unless we are working on a play), and they may have an occasional report as well. Initially, I know this all will sound overwhelming (your child will certainly agree), however, they are VERY capable of accomplishing this by Fourth Grade and I will do my best to ease them in to the new workload.