Grade 4 Reading Curriculum

Grade 4 Reading Course Description:

Students will learn about the structure, expectations and purpose of reader’s and writer’s workshop as they learn about themselves and others as a community of learners and expand their identity as a reader, as well as develop the understandings, knowledge, and skills to be a proficient life-long reader and writer.  Research says, “the amount of time kids spend practicing, on-task, with eyes on print, makes the biggest difference to their success as readers, and across content areas” (Serravallo, 2015).  With this goal in mind, the purpose of teaching and learning in reader’s and writer’s workshop is to cultivate a classroom atmosphere and structure that supports independent reading and writing.  Teachers utilize our SCASD Workshop Framework to differentiate teaching and provide respectful tasks that support student learning.  

     As fourth grade students move into reading more complex literature and nonfiction texts, they will explore ideas and concepts in texts by reflecting, inquiring, collaborating, and researching about these ideas and concepts reading closely, analyzing text, and responding to text.  Unit instruction will focus on specific goals that support the Standards for Literature and Informational Texts, as well as goals to support fluency and accuracy as needed.  Students will begin to apply more critical thinking strategies to unpack and understand a variety of texts.  Learning will continue to be grounded in conversations guided by our Speaking and Listening scope and sequence as well as through responding to text orally and in writing.  

Reader's Workshop Instructional Framework 

Reader's Workshop Brochure for Families  

Unit 1 Building A Community of Readers and Writers:  Inquiring about Ourselves through Literacy

Standards

1.3.4.K Read and comprehend literary fiction on grade level, reading independently and proficiently.

1.2.4.L Read and comprehend literary nonfiction and informational text on grade level, reading independently and proficiently.

Unit 2 Literature:  Understanding Myself and Others through Stories

Standards

1.3.4.A - Theme - Determine a theme of a text from details in the text; summarize the text.

1.3.4.B - Text Analysis - Cite relevant details from text to support what the text says explicitly and make inferences.

1.3.4.C - Literary Elements - Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text.

1.3.4.D - Point of View - Compare and contrast an event or topic told from two different points of view.

1.3.4.E  - Text and Structure - Explain major differences between poems, drama, and prose and refer to the structural elements of each when writing or speaking about a text.  

1.3.4.F - Vocabulary - Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in grade-level text, including figurative language.

1.3.4.G - Sources of Information - Make connections between the text of a story or drama and a visual or oral presentation of the text, identifying where each version reflects specific descriptions and directions in the text.

1.3.4.H  - Text Analysis - Compare and contrast similar themes, topics, and patterns of events in literature, including texts from different cultures.

1.3.4.I - Strategies - Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade-level reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies and tools.

1.3.4.J Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate conversational, general academic, and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal precise actions, emotions, or states of being and that are basic to a particular topic.

Unit 3 Nonfiction:  Learning about Myself and the World

Standards

1.2.4.A Main Idea - Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text.

1.2.4.B Text Analysis - Refer to details and examples in text to support what the text says explicitly and make inferences.

1.2.4.C Text Analysis - Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.

1.2.4.D Point of View - Compare and contrast an event or topic told from two different points of view.

1.2.4.E Text Structure - Use text structure to interpret information (e.g., chronology, comparison,cause/effect, problem/solution).

1.2.4.F Vocabulary - Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in grade- level text, including figurative language.

1.2.4.G Diverse Media - Interpret various presentations of information within a text or digital source and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of text in which it appears.

1.2.4.H Evaluating Arguments -Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text.

1.2.4.I Analysis Across Texts - Integrate information from two texts on the same topic to demonstrate understanding of that topic.

1.2.4.J Acquire and use accurately grade- appropriate conversational, general academic, and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal precise actions, emotions, or states of being and that are basic to a particular topic.

1.2.4.K Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade- level reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies and tools.

Unit 4 Literature:  Understanding Myself and Others through Stories

Standards

1.3.4.A - Theme - Determine a theme of a text from details in the text; summarize the text.

1.3.4.B - Text Analysis - Cite relevant details from text to support what the text says explicitly and make inferences.

1.3.4.C - Literary Elements - Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text.

1.3.4.D - Point of View - Compare and contrast an event or topic told from two different points of view.

1.3.4.E  - Text and Structure - Explain major differences between poems, drama, and prose and refer to the structural elements of each when writing or speaking about a text.  

1.3.4.F - Vocabulary - Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in grade-level text, including figurative language.

1.3.4.G - Sources of Information - Make connections between the text of a story or drama and a visual or oral presentation of the text, identifying where each version reflects specific descriptions and directions in the text.

1.3.4.H  - Text Analysis - Compare and contrast similar themes, topics, and patterns of events in literature, including texts from different cultures.

1.3.4.I - Strategies - Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade-level reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies and tools.

1.3.4.J Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate conversational, general academic, and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal precise actions, emotions, or states of being and that are basic to a particular topic.

Unit 5 Nonfiction:  Learning about Myself and the World

Standards

1.2.4.A Main Idea - Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text.

1.2.4.B Text Analysis - Refer to details and examples in text to support what the text says explicitly and make inferences.

1.2.4.C Text Analysis - Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.

1.2.4.D Point of View - Compare and contrast an event or topic told from two different points of view.

1.2.4.E Text Structure - Use text structure to interpret information (e.g., chronology, comparison,cause/effect, problem/solution).

1.2.4.F Vocabulary - Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in grade- level text, including figurative language.

1.2.4.G Diverse Media - Interpret various presentations of information within a text or digital source and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of text in which it appears.

1.2.4.H Evaluating Arguments -Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text.

1.2.4.I Analysis Across Texts - Integrate information from two texts on the same topic to demonstrate understanding of that topic.

1.2.4.J Acquire and use accurately grade- appropriate conversational, general academic, and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal precise actions, emotions, or states of being and that are basic to a particular topic.

1.2.4.K Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade- level reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies and tools.

Unit 6 Literature and Nonfiction:  My Reading Life Celebrating What I Know

Standards

1.3.4.A - Theme - Determine a theme of a text from details in the text; summarize the text.

1.3.4.B - Text Analysis - Cite relevant details from text to support what the text says explicitly and make inferences.

1.3.4.C - Literary Elements - Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text.

1.3.4.D - Point of View - Compare and contrast an event or topic told from two different points of view.

1.3.4.E  - Text and Structure - Explain major differences between poems, drama, and prose and refer to the structural elements of each when writing or speaking about a text.  

1.3.4.F - Vocabulary - Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in grade-level text, including figurative language.

1.3.4.G - Sources of Information - Make connections between the text of a story or drama and a visual or oral presentation of the text, identifying where each version reflects specific descriptions and directions in the text.

1.3.4.H  - Text Analysis - Compare and contrast similar themes, topics, and patterns of events in literature, including texts from different cultures.

1.3.4.I - Strategies - Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade-level reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies and tools.

1.3.4.J Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate conversational, general academic, and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal precise actions, emotions, or states of being and that are basic to a particular topic.

1.2.4.A Main Idea - Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text.

1.2.4.B Text Analysis - Refer to details and examples in text to support what the text says explicitly and make inferences.

1.2.4.C Text Analysis - Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.

1.2.4.D Point of View - Compare and contrast an event or topic told from two different points of view.

1.2.4.E Text Structure - Use text structure to interpret information (e.g., chronology, comparison,cause/effect, problem/solution).

1.2.4.F Vocabulary - Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in grade- level text, including figurative language.

1.2.4.G Diverse Media - Interpret various presentations of information within a text or digital source and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of text in which it appears.

1.2.4.H Evaluating Arguments -Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text.

1.2.4.I Analysis Across Texts - Integrate information from two texts on the same topic to demonstrate understanding of that topic.

1.2.4.J Acquire and use accurately grade- appropriate conversational, general academic, and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal precise actions, emotions, or states of being and that are basic to a particular topic.

1.2.4.K Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade- level reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies and tools.

Speaking and Listening Standards Across Units and Content

Standards

1.5.4.A Collaborative Discussion - Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions on grade-level topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

1.5.4.B Critical Listening - Paraphrase portions of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.

1.5.4.C Evaluating Information - Identify the reasons and evidence a speaker provides to support particular points.

1.5.4.D Purpose, Audience, and Task -  Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience

in an organized manner, using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly with adequate volume, appropriate pacing and clear pronunciation.

1.5.4.E Context -  Differentiate between contexts that require formal English versus informal situations.

1.5.4.F Multimedia - Add audio recordings and visual displays to presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes.

1.5.4.G Conventions of Standard English -  Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English when speaking based on Grade 4 level and content.

Foundational Skills Standards Included in Each Unit

Standards

CC.1.1.4.D Phonics and Word Recognition

• Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
• Use combined knowledge of all letter-sound correspondences, syllabication patterns, and morphology to read accurately unfamiliar multisyllabic words.

CC.1.1.4.E Fluency

• Read with accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
• Read on-level text with purpose and understanding.
• Read on-level text orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings.
• Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary.