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

Students practice understanding spoken language by listening carefully, responding to others, and joining in discussions. These habits build the vocabulary and thinking skills students use in reading and writing.

Students listen to spoken words, then break them apart, blend them back together, or swap sounds around to make new words. This is the ear-and-mouth work that supports spelling and reading aloud.

Students figure out unfamiliar words by using context clues in the sentence, breaking the word into roots and prefixes, or checking a dictionary. They build a bigger vocabulary by using all three strategies together, not just guessing from context alone.

Students read and write across a page from left to right, forming letters clearly enough that others can read them.

Before reading, students decide why they're reading a given text. That purpose shapes what they pay attention to and how they make sense of what they read.

Before, during, and after reading, students ask their own questions about the text to figure out what it means and what they want to know more about.

Students predict what will happen next in a story or article, then check whether they were right as they keep reading. They use clues from the text's structure and details to guide those predictions.

Students read a passage and connect it to something from their own life, another book they know, or a bigger idea about how the world works. Making those links deepens understanding of what the text is saying.

Reading between the lines is part of the job. Students use clues in the text to figure out what the author doesn't say outright, then point to specific lines as proof.

Students restate a story or article in their own words, keeping the main ideas in the right order without changing what the text actually means.

Students pull together ideas from more than one book, article, or text and use what they find to build a new thought or conclusion none of those sources stated on its own.

When reading gets confusing, students notice the problem and fix it. They might reread a paragraph, connect the text to something they already know, or write a note in the margin to keep track of where they got lost.

Students explain how a story, article, or book connects to their own life. They choose some of the reading themselves and describe what it reminds them of or why it matters to them.

Students read two or more texts and write about how they are alike and how they are different. They back up their thinking with details pulled directly from the texts.

Students find specific lines or details from a story or article that back up what they think or noticed. They write their response using those details as proof, not just their opinion.

Students read a passage and then restate what happened or what it was about in their own words, keeping the main ideas intact and not leaving out anything important.

Students mark up a text, jot notes in the margins, or sketch ideas to hold onto what they read or heard. The goal is to think on paper, not just highlight.

Reading stories, poems, and plays, students identify the building blocks that make each one work: characters, setting, plot, theme, and point of view.

Reading a poem looks different from reading a how-to guide, and those differences matter. Students study how the shape of a text, its stanzas, chapters, or steps, affects what it means and how it lands.

Students identify what makes different types of writing work: how a news article is organized, how an argument builds its case, how a story is shaped. They learn to spot the features that define each kind of text.

Students look at why an author made specific choices, like which words to use or how to organize a story, and figure out what effect those choices have on the reader.

Students study how an author uses tools like headings, bold words, sidebars, maps, and photos to help readers find information or understand the main idea.

Students examine the specific words an author chose and ask why. They look at a word's exact meaning, what it feels like, and how images or comparisons like similes make the writing more vivid.

Students look at how an author's word choices, repetition, or comparisons change how a story feels to read. They explain why those choices matter, not just what they are.

Writing is a back-and-forth process, not a straight line. Students draft, revise, and clean up their work until the final piece is easy to read and follows the rules of standard written English.

Students choose a type of writing (story, letter, opinion piece) that fits what they're writing about and who will read it, before they start their first draft.

Students take an early draft and shape it into a piece of writing that stays on topic, follows a clear order, and makes sense from start to finish.

Students re-read their own writing and make changes to say what they mean more clearly, add detail where it's thin, and swap weak words for stronger ones.

Students fix grammar, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling in their own writing before it's finished. This is the editing stage, where small mistakes get cleaned up so the writing is clear and correct.

Students take a finished piece of writing and share it with a real reader, whether that's the class, the school, or someone outside school.

Students write their own stories and poems, following the patterns and techniques that make each type of writing work. That means structure, word choice, and details that fit the genre.

Students write non-fiction pieces like reports or how-to guides using facts, clear organization, and details that help readers understand a topic.

Students write opinion pieces that take a clear position and back it up with reasons and evidence from what they've read or know. The goal is to convince a reader, not just share a feeling.

Students write letters, emails, or notes with a clear message that fits who they're writing to. A letter to a friend looks different from a letter to a teacher, and students practice knowing that difference.

Students come up with their own questions about a topic they want to explore, then sharpen those questions until they are clear enough to research. This applies to big school projects and everyday curiosity alike.

Students map out a research plan with help from an adult, then track down sources that actually match what they are trying to find out.

Students find books, articles, and websites that answer a research question, then collect details that are actually useful. The goal is learning to tell helpful sources from ones that don't fit.

Students learn to tell the difference between a firsthand source (like a diary or photograph) and a source that summarizes someone else's findings. They also decide how trustworthy each source is before using it in their research.

Students pull together information from multiple sources into one clear explanation, then credit where each idea came from. This is the research skill behind every report and project they write.