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

Students read a story carefully, then back up their ideas with actual lines from the text. When they share or write about what they think, they point to specific sentences as proof.

Students identify the big idea a story keeps coming back to, then explain how key scenes and details build that idea. They also write a short summary of what the story is mostly about.

Students explain how a character changes across a story and why, or how one event sets off the next. They look at causes and connections, not just what happened.

Students figure out what words mean by how an author uses them in a story or poem. They notice when a word carries a feeling, belongs to a subject like science, or works as a figure of speech, then think about how that word choice sets the mood.

Students look at how a story or poem is built, noticing how one paragraph sets up the next and how the pieces fit together to make the whole thing work.

Students figure out who is telling a story and how that choice changes what gets included, left out, or described in a certain way. A narrator with a grudge tells a different story than one who is neutral.

Students compare what a story says in words with what a picture, map, or illustration shows. They think about what each version adds and whether the two together tell more than either one alone.

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

Students read two stories or poems on the same topic, then explain what the authors did differently or what both texts teach together.

Students read stories, poems, and other texts on their own, without much help. By the end of fourth grade, they handle grade-level reading independently and understand what they read.

Students read a nonfiction passage closely, then back up their answers with specific details or sentences pulled directly from the text. They practice explaining not just what the text says but what it suggests.

Students read a nonfiction passage and figure out the main point the author is making. Then they explain how the details across the paragraphs build that point and sum up what the text is mostly about.

Students explain how a person, event, or idea changes throughout a nonfiction text and why those changes happen. They trace connections, like how one event leads to the next or how a person's actions shape an outcome.

Students figure out what words mean based on how they're used in a nonfiction passage, including words with special or layered meanings. They also notice how an author's word choices change the feeling or message of the writing.

Students look at how a nonfiction article is built: how one paragraph leads into the next, and how each part connects to the article's main idea as a whole.

Students figure out who wrote a piece and why, then look at how that shapes what details the author included and how the writing sounds. A scientist writing about wolves and a farmer writing about wolves will tell very different stories.

Students look at a chart, photo, map, or video alongside a written passage and explain how the two together tell more than either one alone.

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 texts on the same topic and compare what each author focuses on, what details each one includes, and how their approaches differ. The goal is to walk away knowing more about the topic than either text alone could teach.

Students read grade-level nonfiction on their own, without help decoding words or following along. The goal is steady, independent reading of real informational texts like articles, science passages, and history writing.

By fourth grade, most print basics are already locked in. This standard is a checkpoint to confirm students can still identify how sentences are built, how punctuation works, and how words are spaced on a page.

Reading foundational skills at Grade 4 focus on spoken language. Students listen to words and break them into syllables and individual sounds, then blend those parts back into whole words.

Students use spelling patterns and word parts to figure out unfamiliar words while reading. This includes breaking words into prefixes, suffixes, and roots to unlock meaning.

Students read aloud smoothly and accurately enough that the words don't slow them down from understanding what the text means. Practice at this level focuses on pacing and expression, not just sounding out words.

Students write a paragraph or short essay that takes a clear position on a topic or book and backs it up with solid reasons and details from the text. The argument needs to hold up, not just state an opinion.

Students write to explain a topic clearly, using facts and details to help a reader understand something new. The focus is on accuracy and organization, not opinion.

Students write stories about real or imagined events, using specific details and a clear sequence to bring the experience to life on the page.

Students write pieces that fit the assignment: the right structure, tone, and detail for the task at hand. A how-to guide sounds different from a story, and both sound different from a persuasive letter.

Students plan, draft, and revise their writing more than once. They learn to fix unclear sentences, swap out weak words, and rework sections that aren't working yet.

Students use computers or tablets to write, finish, and share their work online. That includes leaving comments on a classmate's writing or working together on a shared document.

Students pick a focused question, gather information about it, and write up what they found. The research can be a quick project or a longer one, but it stays on topic the whole way through.

Students find facts from books and websites, check whether each source can be trusted, and put the information into their own words instead of copying it directly.

Students pull quotes or details from a story or nonfiction passage to back up what they think or want to argue. The evidence has to come straight from the text, not from memory or opinion.

Students practice writing regularly, both in quick exercises and longer projects. Over time, they write for different reasons and different readers, from a classmate to a teacher to someone they've never met.

Students come to a conversation ready to listen and add on to what someone else said, then explain their own thinking in a way that makes sense to others.

Students listen to or watch something, like a speech, chart, or video, then pull the key ideas together and decide what the information is actually saying.

Students listen to a speaker and decide whether the argument holds up: is the point clear, do the reasons make sense, and does the evidence actually support what's being said?

Students organize their ideas and present them clearly enough that listeners can follow along, choosing words and details that fit the topic and the people in the room.

Students choose charts, images, or short video clips to make a presentation clearer. The visual has to do real work, not just sit there.

Students practice switching between everyday talk and formal English depending on the situation. Asking a question in class sounds different from chatting at recess, and students learn when each style fits.

Students apply the grammar rules of standard English when they write sentences or speak aloud. That means using correct verb tenses, pronouns, and sentence structure in schoolwork.

Fourth graders apply the basic rules of capitalization, punctuation, and spelling in their own writing. Think proper nouns, commas, and correctly spelled words that show up in a finished piece.

Students learn to pick words and sentences that fit the moment: a casual note to a friend sounds different from a school report. Reading gets sharper when students notice how those choices change the meaning.

When students hit an unfamiliar word, they figure out what it means by reading the surrounding sentences, breaking the word into roots or prefixes, or looking it up in a dictionary or glossary.

Students learn to spot figurative language like similes and idioms, figure out how words relate to each other, and understand why some words carry a stronger feeling than others.

Students learn and use the kind of vocabulary that shows up across subjects, in textbooks, directions, and class discussions. The goal is a working word bank broad enough to read, write, and talk about almost any topic.