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

Students read a story carefully, then back up their ideas with actual lines from the text. They learn to say not just what they think, but where in the story they found it.

Students find the main message of a story and explain how the details across the text build toward it. They can sum up what happened without just retelling every event.

Students explain why a character acts the way they do and how one event leads to the next. They look for the connections that move a story forward.

Students figure out what specific words mean in a story or poem, including when words are used figuratively or carry emotional weight. They also look at how an author's word choices change the mood or meaning of a passage.

Students figure out how a story or poem is built: how one paragraph leads into the next, and how those pieces work together to shape the whole piece.

Students figure out who is telling a story and how that narrator's view changes what details get included and how the writing sounds. A villain's version of events reads very differently from a hero's.

Students compare what a story says in words to what a picture, map, or video about the same topic shows. They explain what each version adds or leaves out.

Students read a text and decide whether the author's argument holds up. They check if the reasons make sense and if the examples actually support the point being made.

Students read two stories or poems on the same topic, then explain how each author handled it differently. The focus is on noticing what each writer chose to include, leave out, or emphasize.

Students read stories and books on their own, without help, at a level that's right for fourth grade. The goal is to understand what they read, not just get through the words.

Students read a nonfiction passage and point to the exact sentences or details that back up what they say about it. Opinions and answers need proof from the text, not just a guess.

Students read a nonfiction passage and figure out the main point the author is making. Then they trace how that point builds across the text and sum up the key details that support it.

Students read nonfiction passages and explain how a person, event, or idea changes or connects to something else as the text unfolds. Think of it as tracing a story's cause and effect in a science article or biography.

Students figure out what tricky or unfamiliar words mean in a nonfiction passage, including slang, loaded language, or a writer's deliberate word choices. Then they think about how those words change the feeling or message of the whole piece.

Students look at how a paragraph connects to the rest of an article or book chapter. They explain how one part sets up, supports, or wraps up another part of the same piece.

Students figure out who wrote a nonfiction text and why, then notice how that shapes what the author chose to include and how they said it. A scientist writing about volcanoes sounds different from a journalist writing about the same eruption.

Students look at a chart, photo, or diagram alongside a written passage and explain what the visual adds that the words alone don't cover.

Students read a nonfiction passage and decide whether the author's argument holds up. They check if the reasons make sense and if the facts given actually support the point being made.

Students read two nonfiction pieces on the same topic and look at how each author explains or organizes the information differently. The goal is to notice what each text adds that the other doesn't.

Students read nonfiction articles, textbooks, and reference materials on their own, without help decoding or following along. By the end of fourth grade, they handle texts that are longer and more complex than what they read in third grade.

Grade 4 students already know how print works. This standard confirms they can apply those basics, like reading left to right and understanding how sentences are punctuated, in longer and more complex texts.

By fourth grade, most phonics work shifts to longer words. Students break spoken words into syllables and individual sounds to read and spell more accurately.

Students use what they know about letter patterns and word parts to sound out and read unfamiliar words on their own.

Students read aloud smoothly and accurately enough that the words don't slow down their understanding. The goal is reading that sounds natural, not halting, so students can focus on what the text means.

Students write a short argument that takes a clear position on a topic or text, then back it up with reasons and evidence pulled from what they read. The focus is on choosing evidence that actually supports the claim, not just any detail from the passage.

Students write a report or explanation that lays out facts and ideas so a reader can follow along without confusion. The writing stays focused and uses real details to back up each point.

Students write a story, real or made-up, with a clear beginning, middle, and end. They choose details that bring the events to life and keep the action moving in order.

Students write paragraphs and essays that fit the assignment: the right structure, the right tone, and enough detail for the reader to follow along.

Students learn that good writing takes more than one try. They plan, draft, revise, and edit, going back to improve or rethink a piece until it says what they meant.

Students use computers or tablets to write, edit, and share their work with others. This includes typing up a final draft, posting it for classmates to read, or leaving comments on a peer's writing.

Students pick a focused question and research it, reading and taking notes until they understand the topic well enough to write about it. The research can be a quick project or a longer one that builds over several days.

Students find facts from more than one source, check that each source can be trusted, and put the information into their own words instead of copying it directly.

Students find quotes or details from a book or article that back up a point they're making in their writing. The evidence has to come from the actual text, not just what students already think or feel.

Students practice writing often, both in quick bursts and over several days, for different reasons and different readers. The goal is to make writing feel like a normal part of the school day, not a special occasion.

Students come to group discussions ready to talk and listen. They add onto what classmates say and share their own ideas in clear, complete thoughts.

Students listen to or watch a presentation, then connect what they heard or saw to what they already know. They might compare a speaker's points to a chart, photo, or diagram covering the same topic.

Students listen to a speaker and decide whether the argument holds up: Is the point clear? Does the evidence actually support it? Grade 4 students begin judging not just what someone says, but how well they back it up.

Students organize a short talk so each idea connects to the next, with details that back up the main point. Listeners should be able to follow the logic without getting lost.

Students add pictures, charts, or short video clips to a presentation to make an idea clearer. The visuals do real work, not just decoration.

Students practice switching how they talk depending on who's listening. A class presentation calls for different language than a conversation with a friend, and students learn to tell the difference.

Students apply the rules of standard English when they write sentences or speak in class. That means using the right verb forms, pronouns, and word order so their meaning comes through clearly.

Students practice the mechanical rules of writing: where to use capital letters, where to place commas and periods, and how to spell words correctly. These skills show up in every sentence they write.

Students practice choosing words and sentences that fit the moment: a letter to a friend sounds different from a report for class. They learn to notice those differences and use them on purpose.

When students hit an unfamiliar word, they look at the surrounding sentences for clues or break the word into parts like prefixes and roots to figure out what it means.

Students learn to spot figures of speech like similes and idioms, understand how words relate to each other, and notice the small differences between words that are close in meaning but not quite the same.

Students learn and correctly use vocabulary that shows up across subjects, like words found in science chapters, math directions, or history readings. They practice these words until they can use them in their own writing and conversations.