Grade 4 ELA Colorado Standards

Pose thoughtful questions after actively listening to others.

Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.

Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation and other information known about the topic to explore ideas under discussion.

Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions and carry out assigned roles.

Pose and respond to specific questions to clarify or follow up on information, and make comments that contribute to the discussion and link to the remarks of others.

Review the key ideas expressed and explain their own ideas and understanding in light of the discussion.

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

Identify the reasons and evidence a speaker provides to support particular points

Create a plan to effectively present information both informally and formally.

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 at an understandable pace.

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

Differentiate between contexts that call for formal English (for example: presenting ideas) and situations where informal discourse is appropriate (for example: small-group discussion); use formal English when appropriate to task and situation.

Apply strategies to comprehend and interpret literary texts.

Use Key Ideas and Details to:

Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize the text.

Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (for example: a character's thoughts, words, or actions).

Describe the development of plot (such as the origin of the central conflict, the action of the plot, and how the conflict is resolved).

Use Craft and Structure to:

Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including those that allude to significant characters found in mythology (for example: Herculean).

Explain major differences between poems, drama, and prose, and refer to the structural elements of poems (for example: verse, rhythm, meter) and drama (for example, casts of characters, settings, descriptions, dialogue, stage directions) when writing or speaking about a text.

Compare and contrast the point of view from which different stories are narrated, including the difference between first- and third-person narrations.

Use Integration of Knowledge and Ideas to:

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.

Compare and contrast the treatment of similar themes and topics (for example: opposition of good and evil) and patterns of events (for example: the quest) in stories, myths, and traditional literature from different cultures.

Use Range of Reading and Complexity of Text to:

By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, in the grades 4-5 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

Read familiar texts orally with fluency, accuracy, and prosody (expression).

Apply strategies to comprehend and interpret informational texts.

Use Key Ideas and Details to:

Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text.

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.

Use Craft and Structure to:

Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words or phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area.

Describe the overall structure (for example, chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in a text or part of a text.

Compare and contrast a firsthand and secondhand account of the same event or topic; describe the differences in focus and the information provided.

Use Integration of Knowledge and Ideas to:

Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (for example: in charts, graphs, diagrams, time lines, animations, or interactive elements on Web pages) and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears.

Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text.

Integrate information from two texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.

Use Range of Reading and Complexity of Text to:

By the end of year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, in the grades 4–5 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

Apply knowledge of spelling patterns (orthography) and word meanings (morphology) to decode multisyllable words and determine the meaning of unknown words.

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 (for example, roots and affixes) to read accurately unfamiliar multisyllabic words in context and out of context.

Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding.

Read grade-level prose and poetry orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression.

Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary.

Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 4 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

Use context (for example: definitions, examples, or restatements in text) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

Use common, grade-appropriate Greek and Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (for example: telegraph, photograph, autograph).

Read and understand words with common prefixes (for example: un-, re-, dis-) and derivational suffixes ( for example: -ful, -ly, -ness)

Read and understand words that change spelling to show past tense (for example: write/wrote, catch/caught, teach/taught)

Read multisyllabic words with and without inflectional and derivational suffixes

Infer meaning of words using explanations offered within a text.

Consult reference materials (for example: dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation and determine or clarify the precise meaning of key words and phrases.

Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.

Explain the meaning of simple similes and metaphors (for example, as pretty as a picture) in context.

Recognize and explain the meaning of common idioms, adages, and proverbs.

Demonstrate understanding of words by relating them to their opposites (antonyms) and to words with similar but not identical meanings (synonyms).

Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal precise actions, emotions, or states of being (for example: quizzed, whined, stammered) and that are basic to a particular topic (for example: wildlife, conservation, and endangered when discussing animal preservation).

Write opinion pieces on topics or texts supporting a point of view with reasons and information.

Introduce a topic or text clearly, state an opinion, and create an organizational structure in which related ideas are grouped to support the writer's purpose.

Provide reasons that are supported by facts and details.

Link opinion and reasons using words and phrases (for example: for instance, in order to, in addition).

Provide a concluding statement or section related to the opinion presented.

Write informative/explanatory texts using text structures appropriate for the purpose and developed through facts, definitions, concrete details, precise language, and domain-specific vocabulary.

Introduce a topic clearly and group related information in paragraphs and sections; include formatting (for example: headings), illustrations, and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.

Identify a text structure appropriate to purpose (sequence, chronology, description, explanation, and comparison-and-contrast).

Organize relevant ideas and details to convey a central idea or prove a point.

Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples related to the topic.

Link ideas within categories of information using words and phrases (for example: another, for example, also, because).

Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.

Provide a concluding statement or section related to the information or explanation presented.

Write engaging, real or imagined narratives using descriptive details and dialogue to convey a sequence of related events.

Orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally.

Use dialogue and description to develop experiences and events or show the responses of characters to situations.

Use a variety of transitional words and phrases to manage the sequence of events.

Use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences and events precisely.

Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events.

Understand why and how writers use the conventions of Standard English grammar, usage, and mechanics to clarify their meaning.

Demonstrate command of the conventions of Standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

Use relative pronouns (who, whose, whom, which, that) and relative adverbs (where, when, why).

Form and use the progressive (for example: I was walking; I am walking; I will be walking) verb tenses.

Use modal auxiliaries (for example: can, may, must) to convey various conditions.

Order adjectives within sentences according to conventional patterns (for example: a small red bag rather than a red small bag).

Correctly use frequently confused words (for example: to, too, two; there, their)

Form and use prepositional phrases.

Use compound subjects (for example: Tom and Pat went to the store) and compound verbs (for example: Harry thought and worried about the things he said to Jane) to create sentence fluency in writing

Produce complete simple, compound, and complex sentences.

Recognize and correct inappropriate fragments and run-ons.

Demonstrate command of the conventions of Standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

Use correct capitalization.

Use commas and quotation marks to mark direct speech and quotations from a text.

Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction in a compound sentence.

Spell grade-appropriate words correctly, consulting references as needed.

Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.

Choose words and phrases to convey ideas precisely.

Choose punctuation for effect.

Differentiate between contexts that call for formal English (for example: presenting ideas) and situations where informal discourse is appropriate (for example: small-group discussion).

Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing.

With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of one page in a single sitting.

Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

Use a variety of resources to build and communicate knowledge related to open-ended research questions.

Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.

Identify a topic and formulate open-ended research questions for further inquiry and learning.

Present a brief report of the research findings to an audience.

Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; take notes and categorize information, and provide a list of sources.

Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

Apply grade 4 Reading standards to literature (for example: "Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text [for example: a character's thoughts, words, or actions].").

Apply grade 4 Reading standards to informational texts (for example: "Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text").

Oral Expression and Listening

Reading for All Purposes

Research Inquiry and Design

Writing and Composition