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

This standard does not apply at this grade level. By fourth grade, students have moved past foundational print concepts and spend their reading time working with longer texts and more complex ideas.

This skill is marked not applicable for fourth grade. Students at this level have moved past foundational phonological awareness into reading and writing full texts.

Students use what they know about letter sounds, syllables, and word parts like prefixes and suffixes to read and spell long, unfamiliar words. The goal is accuracy whether the word appears in a sentence or on its own.

Students read aloud smoothly and accurately enough that the words stop getting in the way of understanding the meaning. Practice at this level builds the reading stamina needed for longer books and assignments.

Students read grade-level stories and articles with a clear goal in mind, not just to get through the words but to actually understand what the text is saying.

Reading aloud, students practice tricky sentences and poems until the words flow naturally, with the right pace and expression. The goal is to sound like a real reader, not someone sounding out each word.

Students catch their own reading mistakes and fix them on the spot. They use what they know about sounds, word patterns, and meaning to figure out if a word is right before reading on.

Students back up their answers with specific lines or details from the story. They use those details to explain what the text says directly and to figure out what it implies but does not say outright.

Students find the big lesson a story, play, or poem is teaching by looking at what characters do and say. Then they sum up the whole piece in a few sentences.

Students pick a character, place, or moment from a story and describe it using specific details from the text, like what a character says, thinks, or does. The details come straight from the page, not from imagination.

Students figure out what unfamiliar words mean based on how they appear in a story or poem. This includes words borrowed from myths and legends, like "Herculean" meaning incredibly strong, named after the hero Hercules.

Students learn to tell poems, plays, and stories apart by looking at how each one is built. A poem has verses and rhythm, a play has character lists and dialogue, and a story is written in paragraphs.

Students figure out who is telling the story and how that choice shapes what readers know. They compare a story told by a character using "I" to one told by an outside narrator describing everyone.

Students compare a story to its movie, play, or audiobook version, then point to specific moments where the visual or audio matches what the written text actually describes.

This standard doesn't apply to literature. For reading stories and poems, see the other Grade 4 reading standards.

Students read two stories from different cultures and look for what they share: a similar lesson, a recurring event like a journey or a battle, or a theme like good versus evil. Then students explain how each story handles that shared idea in its own way.

Reading closely means noticing how a writer chose specific words, built sentences, and shaped a paragraph. Students use what they know about language to make sense of how a story or poem is put together.

Students figure out what an unfamiliar word means by using context clues, nearby sentences, or word parts. This builds the vocabulary students need to understand what they read.

Students figure out what an unfamiliar word means by using clues in the surrounding sentences, such as a nearby definition, a word with the opposite meaning, or an example the author provides.

Students use common Greek and Latin word parts, like "pre-" or "-tion," to figure out what an unfamiliar word means. This works as a decoding tool across subjects, not just in reading class.

Students look up unfamiliar words in a dictionary or online source to check how to say them and pin down exactly what they mean in the story.

Students learn to spot figurative language like similes and metaphors in stories and poems, then figure out what those phrases actually mean. They also explore how words relate to each other and why some words carry stronger feeling than others.

Students find a comparison hiding in a sentence, such as "her laugh was a thunderstorm," and explain what it means in plain words. They look at the words around it to figure out the feeling or idea the author was going for.

Students read phrases like "it's raining cats and dogs" or "the early bird catches the worm" and explain what they actually mean. These sayings don't mean what the words literally say, and students learn to figure out the real meaning from context.

Students practice vocabulary by pairing words with their opposites and finding words that mean almost the same thing. Knowing these relationships helps students choose more precise words when they read and write.

Students read full stories, plays, and poems at a fourth-grade level, not just short passages. The goal is building the habit of reading longer, more challenging texts from start to finish.

Students back up their answers with sentences or details pulled straight from the reading. When the text doesn't say something outright, students use what it does say to make a reasonable guess.

Students find the main point of a nonfiction passage, explain which details back it up, and then restate the whole thing in their own words.

Reading a history book, science article, or how-to text, students explain what happened and why, using details from the text itself rather than outside knowledge.

Students figure out what unfamiliar words mean by using clues in the surrounding text. This covers both everyday academic words and subject-specific terms that show up in science, social studies, and other content areas.

Students look at how a nonfiction passage is organized and explain why the author arranged it that way. For example, they notice whether the text walks through events in order, compares two things, or lays out a problem and its solution.

Reading the same event through two lenses: one from someone who was there, one from someone who wasn't. Students compare what each account focuses on and what details each one includes or leaves out.

Students read charts, graphs, timelines, and diagrams alongside the written text, then explain what those visuals add that the words alone don't show.

Students read a nonfiction passage and figure out which facts or examples the author uses to back up each main point. The focus is on seeing how the pieces of an article fit together as an argument.

Students read two nonfiction sources on the same topic, then combine what they learned to write or talk about it. The goal is to use both sources together, not just one.

Students use the reading, writing, and speaking skills they have been building all year in real assignments. This standard checks that those skills are working together, not just practiced in isolation.

When students hit an unfamiliar word in a nonfiction passage, they use context clues or word parts to figure out what it means. This skill also covers words with more than one meaning, so students learn to pick the right meaning for that sentence.

Students use nearby words and sentences to figure out what an unfamiliar word means. They look for clues like a definition tucked into the sentence, a similar word, or an opposite that hints at the meaning.

Students use Greek and Latin word parts, like "pre-" or "-tion," to figure out what an unfamiliar word means. This works across science, history, and other nonfiction reading.

Students look up unfamiliar words in a dictionary or online source to confirm how to say them and what they actually mean in context.

Students spot figurative language in nonfiction texts and explain what words really mean in context. They notice how related words differ in strength or feeling, like the difference between "warm" and "scorching."

Students figure out what a comparison means when an author writes something like "her voice was honey" or "the wind howled like a wolf." They use nearby sentences to help explain what the author really means.

Students read phrases like "it's raining cats and dogs" or "the early bird catches the worm" and explain what they actually mean. These sayings don't mean what the words say literally, and students learn to figure out the real message from context.

Students practice vocabulary by matching words to their opposites and to words with nearly the same meaning. This helps them read more precisely and choose better words when they write.

Fourth graders read nonfiction books, articles, and other real-world texts that are appropriately challenging for their age. The goal is steady practice with complex material so reading gets easier over time.

Students pick a topic, state what they think about it, and back up that opinion with reasons and facts. This is the foundation of argument writing.

Students learn to tell a fact (something that can be checked and proven) from an opinion (something a person believes). This skill helps them write arguments that hold up and spot weak reasoning in their own work.

Students write an opinion paragraph that opens with a clear statement of what they think, then groups related reasons together so the whole piece builds toward one point.

Students back up each opinion with real facts and specific details, not just "because I said so." Each reason points to evidence that actually supports the argument.

Opinion writing ends with a closing sentence or paragraph that wraps up the argument. Students bring their essay to a clear stop, reminding the reader of the main point without just repeating the introduction word for word.

Students pick a topic and write to explain it clearly, using facts, details, and examples a reader wouldn't already know. The goal is to inform, not to argue or tell a story.

Students open an informational piece with a clear topic sentence, then organize related facts into paragraphs. They add headings or visuals when those help a reader follow along.

Students back up their main idea with real facts, specific details, and direct quotes from sources. The goal is to give readers enough information to actually understand the topic, not just hear that it exists.

Students practice stitching sentences together so ideas flow from one to the next. They use words like "also," "because," and "for example" to show how one fact connects to another.

Students choose exact words that fit the topic, including subject-specific terms a reader needs to understand the explanation. A report on volcanoes, for example, uses words like "magma" and "eruption" rather than "hot stuff" and "explosion."

Students write a closing sentence or paragraph that wraps up the main idea of their piece. It signals the reader that the explanation is finished and leaves them with a clear sense of what the writing was about.

Students write a story, real or made-up, with a clear beginning, middle, and end. They use specific details to show what happens and bring characters or events to life.

Students open a narrative by setting up the situation and introducing who the story is about. The events that follow happen in an order that makes sense.

Students add dialogue and descriptive details to show what characters say, feel, and do when something happens in a story. The goal is to make the scene feel real, not just summarized.

Transitional words and phrases stitch story events together so readers can follow what happened. Students practice words like "later," "after a while," and "the next morning" to move readers smoothly from one moment to the next.

Students choose specific words and sensory details (what something looks, sounds, or feels like) to make a story scene feel real. Vague words like "nice" or "big" get swapped for words that put the reader in the moment.

Students write an ending that connects to the events in their story, not just a sentence that says "the end." The closing wraps up what happened and gives the reader a sense that the story is finished.

Students write pieces that match the job at hand: a story sounds like a story, a report sounds like a report, and the details stay on topic from start to finish.

Students plan, draft, and revise their writing with feedback from teachers and classmates. They learn to spot what's working and fix what isn't before calling a piece finished.

Students use a computer to write, edit, and share their work online, sometimes with help from a teacher or parent. They can type a full page in one sitting.

Students pick a topic and research it from more than one angle, reading different sources to piece together a fuller picture. Think of it like investigating a question instead of just looking up a single answer.

Students find facts from books, websites, or their own experience, take notes, sort those notes into categories, and write down where each piece of information came from.

Students find quotes or details from a book or article and use them to back up a point they're making in their writing. The evidence has to connect clearly to the idea they're trying to support.

Students apply correct grammar, spelling, and word usage in their own writing. This means choosing the right verb tense, spelling words accurately, and using words the way standard English expects them to be used.

Students pick specific words that say exactly what they mean. Instead of writing "big," they might write "enormous" or "towering" to give the reader a clearer picture.

Students learn when to use words like "who," "which," and "that" to connect two ideas in a sentence. They also practice using "where," "when," and "why" to add details that explain a noun.

Students learn to write actions that are ongoing, like "she was reading" or "he is running." They practice using these forms to show when something is happening, was happening, or will be happening.

Modal auxiliaries are helping verbs like "can," "must," "might," and "should." Students use them to show whether something is certain, possible, or required in their writing.

Students learn the conventional order for stacking adjectives in a sentence, such as size before color before material. A phrase like "a small red wooden box" sounds right; "a wooden red small box" does not.

Students learn to add prepositional phrases like "under the desk" or "before lunch" to their sentences. These short word groups show where, when, or how something happens, and make writing more precise.

Students fix broken or run-together sentences in their own writing. They learn to spot where one sentence ends and another should begin.

Students practice words that sound alike but mean different things, like "to," "too," and "two." They learn which spelling belongs in each sentence.

Students pick punctuation on purpose to shape how a sentence feels. A question mark, a comma, or a period can change the rhythm or mood of a line.

Students practice the mechanics of written English: capital letters in the right places, punctuation that helps the reader, and correctly spelled words. These habits make writing easier to read and understand.

Students capitalize the first word of every sentence, names of people and places, and titles like "Dr." or "Mrs." Getting capitalization right helps writing look polished and easy to read.

Students learn where to place commas and quotation marks when writing someone's exact words or copying a line from a book. This keeps their writing clear and shows readers which words belong to another person.

Students learn to place a comma before words like "and," "but," and "so" when joining two complete sentences into one. It keeps writing clear and tells readers where one thought ends and another begins.

Students spell grade-level words correctly in their writing. When a word looks wrong, they check a dictionary or other reference before moving on.

Students practice writing often, both in quick single-sitting tasks and in longer projects that take days. The goal is to build the habit of writing across subjects, for different reasons and different readers.

Students take turns talking with a partner, a small group, or the whole class about a book or topic. They listen well enough to connect their own ideas to what someone else just said.

Students read or study the material before a group discussion, then use what they learned to add something real to the conversation, not just show up and wait for others to talk.

Students follow class rules during group discussions and take on a specific role, like note-taker or discussion leader. The role gives each student a clear job to do while the group talks.

Students ask follow-up questions when something is unclear and connect their own comments to what a classmate just said, keeping the conversation on track.

After a group discussion, students look back at the main ideas shared and explain how their own thinking changed or grew.

Students listen to a passage read aloud or watch information shared through video, charts, or speech, then restate what they heard or saw in their own words.

Students listen to a speaker and pick out the reasons and examples used to back up each main point. This is the same thinking they use when reading an argument, just applied to what they hear.

Students pick a topic or story, organize their key points, and present them out loud using specific details that back up the main idea. They speak clearly and at a pace the audience can follow.

Students add a recording, image, or chart to a presentation to help the audience understand the main idea. The extra piece supports the point, not just decorates it.

Students learn when to use everyday casual speech and when to switch to more careful, formal language. A class presentation calls for formal English; a small-group conversation does not.

Speaking in complete sentences, students choose words and grammar that fit a school or classroom setting. They avoid informal shortcuts and apply the same grammar rules in speech that they practice in writing.

Students pick specific words that say exactly what they mean, not just the first word that comes to mind. A precise word choice makes the idea clearer for the listener or reader.

Students use words like "who," "whose," "whom," "which," and "that" to connect ideas in speech and conversation. For example, instead of two separate sentences, they say one: "The book that I read was funny."

Students practice writing sentences that show action happening right now or continuing over time, using forms like "is running" or "was reading" to show when the action takes place.

Students use words like "can," "must," "might," and "should" in speech to show whether something is certain, possible, or required. Choosing the right word changes the meaning of the whole sentence.

Students arrange describing words in the right order before a noun, so "big red barn" reads naturally instead of "red big barn." This is the word order native speakers follow without thinking about it.

Students practice using prepositional phrases, short word groups like "on the table" or "before lunch," to make sentences more specific about where, when, or how something happens.

Students write and speak in complete sentences, catching and fixing broken-off fragments or sentences that run together without stopping.

Students sort out commonly mixed-up word pairs like "their" and "there," or "affect" and "effect," and use the right one when speaking and writing.

Students learn when to use formal language (like in a presentation or a letter to the principal) versus casual language (like talking with a friend). Knowing the difference helps them speak and write in a way that fits the situation.

Students learn and use the right words for the subject at hand. That means knowing specific terms for topics like science or history, plus words that describe actions and feelings with more precision than everyday language.