What does a student learn in StateGeorgia,GradeGrade 4,SubjectEnglish Language Arts?

Reading foundations are the building blocks students practice to become confident, independent readers. In fourth grade, that means sharpening word recognition and fluency so the focus can shift to understanding what a text actually means.

Reading, writing, speaking, and listening show up in nearly every lesson. These four habits run through all of fourth-grade English work, from decoding words to discussing stories to putting ideas on paper.

Students study how English sentences are built and practice using grammar, punctuation, and spelling correctly in their own writing. They also build vocabulary by figuring out what unfamiliar words mean from context or word parts.

Reading, discussing, and writing about books and passages is how Grade 4 students build skills across every subject. The texts students work with are the starting point for almost every lesson.

Phonological awareness is a K-2 skill. By Grade 4, students have moved past this standard and work on reading and writing tasks that match their grade level.

This standard covers early reading skills like recognizing letters, words, and how a page works. By Grade 4, students have moved past this and are reading full texts independently.

Reading words by connecting sounds to letters. Students practice sounding out unfamiliar words and spelling them correctly, both in sentences and on their own.

This standard was covered in earlier grades. By Grade 4, students have already learned how letters and sounds work together to build words.

This standard does not apply to Grade 4. Phonics decoding rules like letter-sound patterns were taught in earlier grades, so this one carries no new expectation at this level.

This standard was taught in earlier grades and is not assessed in Grade 4. Students have already practiced connecting sounds to letters during the K-2 years.

Students read and spell grade-level words by using what they know about how letters and sounds work together.

Students read and spell words where a letter or letter combination can make more than one sound, like the "c" in "cat" versus "city" or the "ea" in "bread" versus "beat."

Reading and spelling words of every type, from short one-syllable words to longer multisyllabic ones, using knowledge of how syllables work.

Students read and spell words that use common prefixes and suffixes, like "un-," "re-," "-ful," and "-less." Recognizing these word parts helps students figure out unfamiliar words faster.

Reading fluency means students can read a passage smoothly, at a steady pace, and with the right expression. They're not sounding out every word. They're reading the way a person naturally talks.

Students read fourth-grade texts aloud and silently at a steady pace, fixing their own mistakes as they go to keep the meaning clear.

Students recognize common words instantly, without sounding them out, whether the words appear alone on a list or inside a sentence they are reading.

Students read new, grade-level passages smoothly and with less hesitation each time. The goal is to spend less effort on decoding words so more attention goes to understanding what the text means.

Reading aloud with the right phrasing and expression, not just the right words. Students learn to pause at commas, stress important words, and vary their tone so the text sounds the way it was meant to be read.

Students catch their own mistakes while reading and go back to reread when something doesn't make sense.

Students practice writing in cursive, forming connected letters by hand. This is the looping, joined style of handwriting (not print) that many adults still use for notes and signatures.

Cursive handwriting was fully taught by the end of 2nd grade. This standard no longer applies in Grade 4.

Cursive handwriting was practiced in earlier grades. By 4th grade, students have moved on to other writing skills.

Students practice reading words and sentences written in cursive handwriting. This builds the skill of decoding older documents, personal letters, and any text where joined script is used instead of print.

Students practice reading words and sentences written in cursive, the looping connected style often used in handwritten letters and older printed materials.

Students practice writing words in cursive, connecting letters by hand so the result is easy to read.

Students practice writing words in cursive, connecting each letter to the next so the whole word flows together and is easy to read.

Students practice cursive writing with consistent spacing between words, keeping the spacing even as sentences continue across multiple lines on a page.

Reading and writing take practice with purpose. Students build habits around both: picking up a book or a pencil with a clear reason in mind, whether to understand something new or to say something that matters.

Students build habits as readers and writers by finding strategies that work for them, whether that means rereading a tricky paragraph or revising a draft until it says what they mean.

Students set their own reading and writing goals, track how they're doing, and update those goals when something isn't working.

Students reflect on what they actually like to read and write, then put it into words. They point to specific topics, styles, or types of books that click for them and explain why.

Students choose reading and writing topics that interest them personally and connect to what they are studying in class. That mix of choice and purpose helps fourth graders build stronger reading and writing habits.

Students practice a toolkit of reading and writing moves, then pull from that toolkit when they need help understanding a difficult passage or putting their own ideas on the page.

Students practice being part of a reading and writing community: they agree on group norms, talk about what they read, share their own writing, listen when others share, and give and receive feedback.

Students practice choosing what to read, setting their own reading goals, and working through writing without waiting to be told each next step.

Students take part in conversations and written exchanges about what they read and write, connecting ideas across different texts and to their own experiences.

Students read and write stories drawn from their own lives or from imagination, making sense of what they read and crafting their own narratives on the page.

Students read and write to actually learn something: picking up new facts, figuring out a problem, or putting ideas into their own words for someone else.

Students read or listen to learn something new, then write or talk to show they understand it. Reading and writing work together as tools for thinking through ideas, not just recording them.

Students read or create something (a chart, a quick summary, a sketch) to help them think through and judge what a text is saying.

Students read to gather information that helps solve a problem, then write to share what they found or persuade others toward a decision.

Students use reading strategies at every stage: previewing before they start, pausing to check understanding as they read, and reflecting after they finish. The goal is to build real meaning from challenging texts, not just get through the page.

Before reading, students decide what they're trying to get out of a text. While reading, they check whether they actually understand it and slow down or reread when they don't.

Before reading, students quickly look over a text to spot headings, sections, and other clues about where the useful information lives.

Students pull what they already know into their reading, compare it with what the text says, and update their thinking when the two don't match.

Students pause while reading to picture what's happening and sum up what a section said, keeping track of the story or information as they go.

Students guess what will happen next in a story or article, then check whether they were right as they keep reading.

Students read between the lines to figure out what a text suggests but never says outright, then find specific words or sentences in the text that back up that thinking.

Students figure out what unfamiliar words mean by looking at the surrounding sentences and breaking the word into parts they already know, like a root or a prefix.

Students plan, draft, and revise writing for different readers and reasons, adjusting their process as the work demands. This covers everything from a quick paragraph to a longer piece.

Students decide why they are writing, what they want to say, and who will read it before they start drafting.

Before writing, students decide how to organize their ideas: which structure fits the piece, and what their reader actually needs to follow along.

Students think through what they already know about a topic, read to find new information, and talk with classmates before they start writing. That groundwork gives them something real to say.

Students sort through their notes and details, deciding which ones best fit their writing plan and which ones to set aside.

Students write a first draft by pulling together their ideas, choosing words that fit the message, and using writing techniques that match what the piece is meant to do and who will read it.

Students look back at their own writing and ask whether it does what they meant it to do. They use their own review or a classmate's feedback to decide what still needs work.

Students look back at their own writing, take in feedback from others, and make real changes: rearranging sections, sharpening ideas, and swapping weak words for stronger ones until the piece works better.

Students read back through their own writing to fix spelling, punctuation, and grammar before the piece is finished.

Students think about who wrote a piece, why they wrote it, and who it was written for. That thinking shapes how students read and what they write.

Students learn to ask "who wrote this, when, and why?" before reading or writing. They use details like place, time period, and culture to understand what a text means and to make their own writing clearer.

Students look up background information, talk with classmates, and draw on what they already know to figure out what matters most before reading or writing a text.

When reading or writing, students think about who created a text, who it was made for, and why. Knowing the background of a piece changes what it means and what the author was trying to do.

Students look at how the time, place, or situation a piece of writing comes from shapes what the author chose to say and how readers react to it.

Students look at how a writer shapes a piece of writing to fit the people reading it and the reason it was written. They use those same moves when writing their own pieces.

Students think about who wrote a text, who it was written for, and why before deciding whether it does its job well. This applies to texts they read and to writing they produce themselves.

Students figure out why an author wrote something and who it was written for, then use that thinking to explain the author's point of view or build their own when writing.

Students think about why an author chose certain words, details, or layout by asking who the author was writing for and what that audience needed to understand.

Students notice how authors choose words, build sentences, and organize ideas, then use those same moves in their own writing.

When students read, they notice the choices the author made: the words, sentences, and details that made them feel something or think a certain way. Then they ask why the author made those choices.

Students spot how an author's word choices, structure, or details shape the way a reader thinks or feels about a topic. Then students use those same moves in their own writing.

Students find words or phrases in a text that stand out, then explain why the author chose them and how they shape the way a reader thinks or feels.

Students explain how an author's sentence choices, like short punchy sentences or long flowing ones, affect how readers feel and understand the text.

Students look at how a text is put together, like its headings, sections, and patterns, and explain how those choices make the writing easier to follow and help the author get the point across.

Students write with their readers in mind, choosing words and details that fit the purpose of the piece. A letter to a friend sounds different from a report for class, and students learn to make those choices on purpose.

Students learn to mix storytelling details, facts, and personal opinions in a single piece of writing to reach a specific reader and make a clear point.

Students choose specific words and phrases to steer how readers think or feel about a topic, with a clear goal in mind for what the writing should do.

Students choose how to build their sentences, like whether to make them short and punchy or long and flowing, based on who will read their writing and what effect they want to have.

Students arrange their writing using headings, paragraphs, or other structures that fit the purpose and help readers follow along.

Students notice how a writer's choices about layout, images, headings, and white space shape what a reader notices first. When writing, students make those same choices on purpose.

Students practice reading and writing in different forms, like poetry, stories, and essays, noticing how word choices and structure change the feel and purpose of a piece.

Students learn why a poem and a science article say the same thing so differently. The format a writer chooses shapes what details get included and what gets left out.

Students look at how the type of writing (a poem, a story, a how-to guide) shapes the way ideas are laid out on the page, then use that knowledge when writing their own pieces.

Students read texts that mix words, images, and other media, then create their own using similar tools to reach a specific audience with a specific purpose.

Students talk through ideas with classmates, listen to other viewpoints, and share what they know. Practice happens in small groups, whole-class discussion, and presentations.

Students work with classmates to finish a shared project or reach a goal the group sets together.

Students come to group discussions ready to contribute, having read, reviewed, or thought through the material beforehand. Preparation is what makes collaboration work.

Students agree on shared rules and goals before starting a group project, then help keep the work moving. This standard covers the habits that make group work actually productive.

Students take turns speaking and listening in group discussions, add their own ideas, and give useful feedback on what classmates share.

Students take part in group discussions and work with classmates to ask questions, solve problems, and build ideas together through reading, writing, and conversation.

Students practice adjusting how they speak or present based on who is listening and why. A report for classmates sounds different from a speech for parents, and this standard is where students learn that difference.

Students practice saying their ideas out loud in a way others can follow, whether sharing a finding, explaining a text, or walking the class through what they learned.

Students choose the right format for who they are talking to. A report for the class looks different from a note to a friend, and picking the right one is part of the work.

Students adjust how fast or slow they speak, how serious or casual they sound, and what their face and hands do, based on who is listening and why.

Students ask and answer questions during a presentation or group discussion, keeping a real back-and-forth going with whoever is listening.

Students practice saying important poems and speeches out loud from memory, building background knowledge they can draw on when reading, writing, and discussing ideas.

Students study how sentences are built and practice using correct grammar, punctuation, and word choice in their own writing. They look at how those same rules work in texts they read.

Students learn the grammar rules that make writing and speaking clear, from how sentences are built to how punctuation works. They practice these rules in their own writing and use them to better understand what they read.

Prepositional phrases are small word groups that show where, when, or how something happens, like "on the desk" or "after lunch." Students write and use these phrases correctly in their own sentences.

Comparative adjectives rank two things ("taller," "more quickly"), while superlative adjectives rank three or more ("tallest," "most quickly"). Students form and use both correctly in their writing.

Pronouns like "he," "she," or "they" have to match the noun they replace. Students practice making sure those two words agree every time, in every sentence they read or write.

Punctuation in dialogue: when writing what someone says out loud, students put quotation marks around the exact words, add a comma to connect the quote to the speaker, and capitalize where needed.

Relative pronouns (who, that, which) and relative adverbs (where, when, why) connect and add detail to sentences. Students use these words correctly in their own writing and recognize them in what they read.

Students add interjections (words like "Wow," "Ouch," or "Hey") to writing to express a quick feeling or reaction. By fourth grade, students are expected to use them correctly on their own.

Helping verbs (like "is," "have," and "will") support the main verb in a sentence. Linking verbs (like "is" and "seems") connect the subject to a describing word. Students use both correctly in their writing.

Students practice words that look or sound alike but mean different things, like knowing when to write "there" versus "their" or "to" versus "too." Getting these right matters in every sentence they write.

Students recognize and correctly capitalize abbreviations, proper adjectives like "American" or "Italian," and formal titles like "Dr." or "President" in their writing.

Students practice placing commas in sentences where a person is spoken to by name and after words like "yes" or "no" at the start of a reply. By this grade, they're expected to do it consistently.

Fourth graders use apostrophes to show that more than one person or thing owns something, like writing "the dogs' leashes" or "the teachers' desks."

Reading and writing practice where students pick the right pronoun for sentences with words like "everyone," "someone," or "nothing," making sure the verb matches. For example, "Everyone is ready" not "Everyone are ready."

Subordinating conjunctions are words like "because," "although," and "when" that connect two related ideas into one sentence. Students practice joining a main clause to a dependent clause so the relationship between ideas is clear.

Students practice placing a comma after an opening phrase or clause before the main part of the sentence. For example, "After school, we went home" needs that comma to show where the intro ends and the main idea begins.

When writing the title of a book, movie, or song, students use capital letters and either quotation marks or italics to format it correctly. This keeps titles easy to spot on the page.

Intensive pronouns are words like "myself," "himself," or "themselves" that add emphasis to a sentence. Students learn to use them to stress who did something, as in "I fixed it myself" or "She wrote the whole story herself."

Students practice three verb forms that show when actions happen: the ongoing kind (she is reading), the completed kind (she has read), and the ongoing-then-completed kind (she has been reading).

Participles are verb forms used as describing words. Students start learning how to build phrases like "the running dog" or "the broken window" and use them to add detail to sentences.

When a sentence uses "it," "they," or another pronoun, students figure out whether the reader can tell who or what that word points to. If it's unclear, students rewrite the sentence to make it specific.

Students read and write sentences that are built differently from one another, not just the same subject-verb pattern repeated. Recognizing how a sentence is put together helps students understand what they read and write more clearly.

Reading a sentence closely to understand how its parts fit together, so the meaning lands clearly. Students use what they know about how sentences work to figure out tricky passages in books and articles.

Students practice mixing short sentences, joined sentences, and sentences with dependent clauses to make writing clearer. They also keep verb tenses consistent so readers aren't pulled out of the story or argument.

Students match the subject and verb in a sentence so they agree in number. A singular subject like "the dog" takes "runs," not "run." Getting this right makes writing easier to follow.

Students practice adding adjectives and adverbs to their writing to make descriptions sharper and more specific. Instead of "the dog ran," they learn to write "the exhausted dog ran slowly."

No grammar rule is taught at this grade level. This standard is part of a progression that starts in 9th grade, so fourth graders are not expected to meet it yet.

Students practice figuring out unfamiliar words by studying word parts like roots and prefixes, using context clues, and applying new vocabulary in their reading and writing.

Students learn three layers of vocabulary: everyday words, words that show up across subjects (like "analyze" or "evidence"), and terms specific to one subject like science or social studies. They practice using all three precisely in speech and writing.

Students build their word banks by reading grade-level books and content, picking up everyday words, school-subject terms, and topic-specific vocabulary as they go.

Students choose precise, well-matched words when writing and speaking, picking terms that fit the subject and the audience rather than defaulting to the first word that comes to mind.

Students use prefixes, suffixes, and root words to figure out what an unfamiliar word means, then choose words carefully when they speak or write.

Students break apart unfamiliar words by spotting roots and prefixes or suffixes from Greek and Latin to figure out what the word means.

Students study how adding a prefix or suffix changes what a word does in a sentence. For example, "beautiful" describes a noun, but "beautifully" describes an action.

Students use roots and word parts from Greek and Latin to build new words and figure out what unfamiliar words mean. Knowing that "port" means carry, for example, helps unlock "transport" and "portable."

This standard isn't taught in Grade 4. Students pick it up in 6th grade when the curriculum is ready to build on earlier vocabulary work.

Students use a dictionary, thesaurus, or glossary to look up unfamiliar words and connect new words to ones they already know. The goal is to understand what a word means in context, not just memorize a definition.

When reading and a word is unfamiliar, students look at the surrounding sentences for clues like a definition, an example, or a restatement that explains what the word means.

Students practice connecting a word to others that share its meaning, mean the opposite, sound the same, or look the same but mean something different.

Students compare adverbs that mean nearly the same thing, like the difference between walking quickly and walking swiftly, to choose the most precise word for what they want to say.

Students look up unfamiliar words in a dictionary or thesaurus, on paper or online, to check spelling and pin down exactly what a word means.

Students choose the most precise word for the moment, drawing on what they know about how words relate to each other. Getting this right tightens a sentence and makes a piece of writing or a spoken response land the way it was intended.

Students explain why the same topic might be written differently depending on who will read it and why it was written. A book explaining volcanoes for kids looks and sounds different from a science report written for a teacher.

Students figure out why a text was written and who it was written for, then use those clues to understand what the author means. A speech, a poster, and a story each talk to readers differently.

Reading a text closely to figure out who it was written for and what the author is trying to accomplish. Students track how that purpose builds from the opening to the end.

Students sort texts by whether they tell a story, explain something, or try to persuade a reader. Then they describe how that choice shapes what the audience takes away.

Students pick images, audio, video, or other media and combine them into a single piece built for a specific reader or viewer. The choices they make, like which visuals to use, depend on who will see the work and why.

Students look at who wrote or said something, why they said it, and what was going on in their life or world at the time. That context helps explain why two people can read the same event and tell it very differently.

Students read the same story or passage from two different narrators and explain how each one sees events differently. They look at what each narrator notices, feels, or leaves out.

This standard isn't taught in Grade 4. Students begin this work in 6th grade.

Students figure out the circumstances behind a text: when it was written, who wrote it, and what situation prompted it. That context shapes what the author says and how they say it.

This standard is introduced in 6th grade, so Grade 4 students are not expected to meet it yet.

Students study how writers organize a piece of writing and why those choices matter. They look at how a paragraph is built, how a story is arranged, and how word choices shape the way a reader takes in ideas.

Students learn how writers organize ideas, then use those structures in their own writing to make paragraphs and passages clear and easy to follow.

Students read two texts on the same topic and explain how each one is organized differently, noting features like chapter headings, timelines, or rhyme schemes that shape how the information or story comes across.

Students choose how to organize their writing based on who will read it and why. They might use headings, lists, or a specific order to make their ideas easier to follow.

Students use connecting words like "similarly" or "in contrast" to show how two ideas relate. These signal words help readers follow the logic from one sentence or paragraph to the next.

Students group related sentences into a paragraph with a clear structure, using transition words to connect ideas and guide readers from one thought to the next.

Reading a text closely means noticing the words an author chose and asking why. Students study how word choice, sentences, and structure shape meaning and use those same moves in their own writing.

Students find words and phrases that exaggerate or give human qualities to objects, then explain how those choices change the feel or meaning of what they just read.

Students choose figurative language, like similes or metaphors, to make their writing more vivid or to help readers picture an idea more clearly.

This standard isn't taught in Grade 4. Students will work on this skill starting in 6th grade.

Reading and writing involve craft choices. Students learn to spot how authors build meaning through word choice, structure, and detail, then use those same moves in their own writing.

Students read stories and learn to name what an author is doing to shape meaning, like how a character's actions reveal a feeling or how a scene slows down to build tension. Then they use those same moves in their own writing.

Students look at how an author uses dialogue, description, and details to build characters, reveal the setting, and move the story forward.

Students identify the hero and the villain in a story, then explain how their conflict moves the plot forward and shapes the other characters around them.

Students look at how a story's characters and details point to a bigger idea the author is exploring, like a struggle between good and evil. They name that idea and explain how specific story details reveal it.

Students read two stories from different cultures and explain how each one handles the same big idea, like a hero's journey or a battle between good and evil, looking at what stays the same and what changes.

Students write a story with real or invented characters, a clear problem and solution, and dialogue. Details and events build toward an ending that wraps things up.

Expository writing is nonfiction that explains how something works or why something is true. Students read and write this kind of text, then explain how the author organized ideas and chose details to make the topic clear.

Students look at how a nonfiction text is built: what facts the author chose, how those facts back up the main point, and whether the choices work.

Students read a history, science, or technical passage and explain what happened and why, using details from the text itself rather than background knowledge.

Students read two or more texts on the same topic, then sort and connect the key details across them. The goal is to see how the information fits together, not just collect facts from each source separately.

Students write an informational piece that opens with a clear introduction, organizes supporting facts and details into focused paragraphs, chooses exact words, and wraps up with a conclusion that ties the topic together.

Students read opinion writing and identify the moves the author makes to push a point of view, such as choosing strong words or saving the best reason for last. They practice those same moves in their own writing.

Students look at how an opinion piece is built: what the author believes, the reasons given, and whether the evidence actually backs those reasons up.

This standard doesn't apply until high school. At this grade, students focus on other reading and writing skills.

Students write an opinion piece with a clear opening, reasons backed by evidence, and a closing sentence. They use linking words like "because" and "therefore" to connect their opinion to the reasons that support it.

This standard doesn't apply at the 4th-grade level. It's part of a progression that starts in high school, so students won't work on it yet.

Students read poems and notice how word choice, rhythm, and repetition change the feeling of a piece. They practice using those same moves in their own writing.

Students look at how different poems are built: how a haiku counts syllables, how a limerick rhymes and bounces, how free verse drops the rules. They explain what makes each type feel and sound the way it does.

Students write poems using a rhyme scheme chosen in advance, placing rhyming words to create a specific feeling or reaction in the reader.

Students read, discuss, and compare multiple sources on a topic, then pull out the most useful information to answer questions or build a project. The focus is on thinking across texts, not just reading one.

Students pick a topic, find trustworthy sources, and use what they learn to answer real questions about it. The goal is to dig deeper into a subject, not just collect facts.

Students pick a topic they are curious about and write open-ended questions to guide their research. The goal is questions that lead somewhere, not ones with a simple yes or no answer.

Students pick a topic they want to learn about, then find information from books, websites, and real conversations to answer their own questions. They pull those sources together into something useful.

Students pull facts and details from at least two reliable sources and weave that information together to support an idea or answer a question.

Students find facts from books and websites, check that the sources are trustworthy, and put the information into their own words instead of copying it.

Students pick a sentence or line from a text and use it to back up their answer or opinion. They point to the actual words on the page, not just a general memory of the story.

Students decide whether a source is worth trusting by looking at who wrote it and what they know about that person or organization. Is this author an expert? Does the source match what students are actually researching?

This standard doesn't apply in 4th grade. Students start this skill in 5th grade.