English Language Arts Grade 4 (2023)
Course Preface
Printable Version (pdf)

 

Core Standards of the Course

Speaking and Listening (4.SL)
Students will learn to collaborate, express and listen to ideas, integrate and evaluate information from various sources, use media and visual displays as well as language and grammar strategically to help achieve communicative purposes, and adapt to context and task.

Standard 4.SL.1:
Participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations, using age-appropriate vocabulary, on topics, texts, and issues.

1. Respectfully acknowledge and respond to comments and claims.
   
2. Participate in conversations by asking questions, acknowledging new information, connecting responses with reasoning and elaboration, and keeping the discussion on topic.
   

Standard 4.SL.2:
Clearly summarize information presented in various formats and media and explain how the information pertains to the topic.

Standard 4.SL.3:
Use age-appropriate language, grammar, volume, and clear pronunciation when speaking or presenting.

1. Include visual displays and/or media, when appropriate, to convey information, elaborate, and enhance engagement of presentations.
   

Reading (4.R)
Students will learn to proficiently read and comprehend grade level literature and informational text, including seminal U.S. documents of historical and literary significance, at the high end of the grade level text complexity band, with scaffolding as needed. *Standard R.4 includes an asterisk to refer educators back to the Text Complexity Grade Bands and Associated Lexile Ranges in the introduction of the standards.

Standard 4.R.1:
Mastered in preschool.

Standard 4.R.2:
Mastered in grade 3.

Standard 4.R.3:
Demonstrate mastery of age-appropriate phonics skills.

1. Use combined knowledge of all letter-sound correspondences, syllabication patterns, morphology (e.g., roots and affixes), and etymology to accurately read unfamiliar multisyllabic words in context and out of context.
   

Standard 4.R.4:
Read grade-level text* with accuracy and fluency to support comprehension. (RL & RI)

Standard 4.R.5:
Refer to details and evidence in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text. (RL & RI)

Standard 4.R.6:
Read a variety of text types, including those from diverse cultures to determine a theme or main idea and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize texts using textual evidence. (RL & RI)

Standard 4.R.7:
Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text. (RL) Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text. (RI)

Standard 4.R.8:
Determine the meaning of words, phrases, figurative language, academic and content-specific words within a text. (RL & RI)

Standard 4.R.9:
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. (RL & RI)

1. Use context as a clue to the meaning of a word.
   
2. Use common Greek and Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word.
   
3. Consult reference materials to find the pronunciation and determine or clarify the precise meaning of key words and phrases.
   

Standard 4.R.10:
Analyze and discuss the parts of literary text using terms such as chapter, scene, and stanza. (RL) Describe the overall structure using terms such as sequence, comparison, cause/effect, and problem/solution. (RI)

Standard 4.R.11:
Compare the point of view from which different stories are narrated, including the difference between first- and third-person narrations. (RL) Compare a primary and secondary source on the same event or topic. (RI)

Standard 4.R.12:
Compare a visual or oral presentation of a story or drama with the text itself and identify where each version reflects specific descriptions and directions in the text. (RL) Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears. (RI)

Standard 4.R.13:
Not applicable to RL. Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular claims in a text. (RI)

Standard 4.R.14:
Compare the treatment of similar themes and topics and patterns of events in stories, myths, and traditional literature from different cultures. (RL) Integrate information from two texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably. (RI)

Writing (4.W)
Students will learn to write for a variety of tasks, purposes, and audiences using appropriate grammar/conventions, syntax, and style.

Standard 4.W.1:
Write argumentative pieces on topics and/or texts, supporting a point of view with evidence and information, using linking words and phrases to connect the claim to the evidence, and provide a concluding section related to the claim presented.

1. Introduce a topic, state a claim that is supported by evidence, produce complex sentences, and create an organizational structure in which related ideas are grouped to support the writer’s purpose.
   
2. Use appropriate conventions when writing including text cohesion, sentence structure, and phrasing.
   

Standard 4.W.2:
Write informative/explanatory pieces to examine a topic that conveys ideas and information clearly, link ideas within categories of information using words and phrases, and provide a concluding section related to the information or explanation presented.

1. Introduce a topic and group related information in paragraphs and/or sections using organizational structures, produce complex sentences, and text features to support the writer's purpose.
   
2. Develop the topic using relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or examples.
   
3. Use precise language and content-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
   
4. Use appropriate conventions when writing including text cohesion, sentence structure, and phrasing.
   

Standard 4.W.3:
Write narrative pieces to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, clear event sequences, and provide a resolution.

1. Orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally.
   
2. Use dialogue and description to develop experiences and events or show the responses of characters to situations.
   
3. Use a variety of transitional words and phrases to manage the sequence of events.
   
4. Use concrete words, phrases, complex sentences, and sensory details to convey experiences and events precisely.
   
5. Use appropriate conventions when writing including text cohesion, sentence structure, and phrasing.
   

Standard 4.W.4:
Conduct short research projects to build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.

1. Recall, gather, and organize information and provide a list of relevant sources.
   
2. Elaborate to demonstrate understanding of the topic under investigation.
   
3. Interact and collaborate with others throughout the writing process.
   

Standard 4.W.5:
Fluently write in cursive and manuscript.

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http://www.uen.org - in partnership with Utah State Board of Education (USBE) and Utah System of Higher Education (USHE).  Send questions or comments to USBE Specialist - Sara  Wiebke and see the Language Arts - Elementary website. For general questions about Utah's Core Standards contact the Director - Jennifer  Throndsen.

These materials have been produced by and for the teachers of the State of Utah. Copies of these materials may be freely reproduced for teacher and classroom use. When distributing these materials, credit should be given to Utah State Board of Education. These materials may not be published, in whole or part, or in any other format, without the written permission of the Utah State Board of Education, 250 East 500 South, PO Box 144200, Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-4200.