Reading and Writing in 4 th Grade K. E. Little Elementary

READING IS THINKING!!! Students need to think deeply about the text they are reading.

Fiction – From the Imagination When reading fiction, students need to be able to:  Determine the author’s purpose (why they wrote the story – to Persuade, Inform, or Entertain, why they used a certain word or picture,)  Understand the character’s actions and feelings  Summarize the story or a part of a story (BME or CPR)  Explain the theme (lesson or message) of a story  Use context clues to understand the meaning of a word

Non-Fiction – Facts & Information When students are reading non-fiction, they should be able to: o Use the features of the text (graphs, charts, diagrams, time lines, caption, etc.) to locate information o Decide how the author organized the information (Compare & contrast, Chronological order, In order of importance) o Distinguish between fact and opinion

Poetry Students must be able to:  Identify the theme or message of a poem  Identify and explain the use of figurative language such as: metaphors, similes, idioms, and personification  Identify whether a poem has a rhyming pattern or not  Understand the parts of a poem, lines and stanzas  Compare and contrast a poem to a fiction or non-fiction passage

Drama - plays Students need to be able to:  Identify and understand the purpose of the elements of drama: dialogue, stage directions, background information  Identify the theme or message of the drama  Compare and contrast a drama with a fiction or non- fiction passage.

Read this sentence from paragraph 2. Even the spicy aroma of pine trees made Lady Bird feel at home. The imagery in these lines appeals most to the reader’s sense of — A sight B smell C taste D touch Sample Question:

3 What evidence from the selection shows that Lady Bird Johnson was well respected? A People visit Austin’s wildflower research center. B Lady Bird Johnson supported national parks. C Public places were named after Lady Bird Johnson. D Lady Bird Johnson planted flowers near city streets. Sample Question:

Writing Writing is painting a picture with your words.

Narrative Writing Look at the picture below. It takes a lot of practice to become a dancer. Write about a time when you practiced to become good at something. Be sure to — write about a personal experience organize your writing develop your ideas in detail choose your words carefully use correct spelling, capitalization, punctuation, grammar, and sentences

Expository Writing READ the information in the box below. THINK about the people you care about. WRITE about one person who has been a hero to you. Explain what made that person a hero. Be sure to —  clearly state your central idea organize your writing  develop your writing in detail  choose your words carefully  use correct spelling, capitalization, punctuation, grammar, and sentences There are people in our lives who are like heroes to us. This may be a police officer, a parent, or even a teacher.

Narrative and Expository Writing Students need to:  Brainstorm – list ideas about the prompt  Magnify – choose from your list and narrow it down  Telescope – Focus on one moment (not the whole universe, not the planet, but only one star)  Make their story a STAR – each sentence should connect to the one before. (Narrative)  Make their story LINEAR – list reasons and details as they explain the prompt (Expository)

Editing and Revising Editing means to fix or correct errors. Revising means to make improvements or make it better.

Sample revision question (8) In the early days Girl Scouts sold only original sandwich, chocolate mint, and shortbread cookies. (9) There are many interesting flavors available, including lemon, peanut butter, and caramel. Samantha needs to add a transition word or phrase to help her readers move from sentence 8 to sentence 9. Which transition could BEST be added to the beginning of sentence 9? A After all B Today C At first D Then

Sample editing question (12) As we walked, the ceiling dropped lower and lower untill we had to crawl on our hands and knees. 2 What change, if any, should be made in sentence 12? A Change dropped to droped B Change untill to until C Change hands and knees to hand’s and knee’s D Make no change

NEWSFLASH!!!! The editing and revising portion make up almost 65% of the writing test!!!!

Summing it all up… Reading is everywhere!! Find ways to read to your child. Discover what their interests are and try to find books they will enjoy. Have them talk about what they are reading to make sure they understand. Writing is important, as well. Have your child write often, whether it is creating a comic strip or writing a letter to grandma. Get a small notebook or journal for your child to write about their thoughts and feelings. Guide them in discovering their own mistakes as they edit and revise their writing. Remember, it’s not just about a test. It’s about helping your child grow and become excited about learning!!

Homework  Homework helps students practice the skills taught in the classroom at home.  Homework is expected to be completed and turned in daily.  If students have difficulty understanding or completing homework, the teachers are available from 7:45 to 8:30 for homework help.

Attendance  Now that you have seen what is expected in Reading and Writing in 4 th grade, you should have a better understanding of why it is important for your child to be here EVERYDAY!  Missing even one day can cause your child to miss a lot of academic content and it can be very difficult for them to catch up.  Breakfast is free for ALL students, but it ends at 8:20.  School starts promptly at 8:30. If students come to school after 8:30, they are counted tardy and have already started missing out on instruction.