Reading—Grade 4

In fourth grade, students read skillfully with meaning and purpose using appropriate comprehension and vocabulary strategies. Students read, discuss, reflect, and respond, using evidence from text, to a wide variety of literary genres and informational text. Students read for pleasure and continue to choose books based on personal preference, topic, theme, or author.

EALR 1: The student understands and uses different skills and strategies to read.

1.1.4 Apply understanding of phonics.

• Use multi-syllabic decoding when reading words in all texts.

1.2.1 Apply reference skills to define, clarify, and refine word meanings.

• Use dictionaries, thesauruses, and glossaries to find or confirm word meanings, pronunciations, syllabication, synonyms, antonyms, and parts of speech of words.

1.2.2 Apply vocabulary strategies in grade-level text.

• Use word origins to determine the meaning of unknown words.
• Use the meanings of prefixes, suffixes, and abbreviated words to determine the meaning of unknown words in grade-level text.
• Explain how to derive word meaning from knowledge of affixes and roots (e.g., port: transportation, porter, import, report).
• Use prior knowledge, the text, context clues, and graphic features of text to predict, clarify, and/or expand word meanings and concepts.

Component 1.3 Build vocabulary through wide reading.

1.3.1 Understand and apply new vocabulary.

• Use new vocabulary from informational/expository text and literary/narrative text, including text from a variety of cultures and communities, in oral and written communication.

1.3.2 Understand and apply content/academic vocabulary critical to the meaning of the text. W

• Define words and concepts necessary for understanding math, science, social studies, literature, and other content area text.
• Explain that some words have a different meaning in different content areas (e.g., concept of shade in science and art).
• Select, from multiple choices, the meaning of words necessary to understand.
• Use new vocabulary in oral and written communication and content/academic text.

Component 1.4 Apply word recognition skills and strategies to read fluently.

1.4.2 Apply fluency to enhance comprehension.

• Read aloud grade-level informational/expository text and literary/narrative text accurately, using appropriate pacing, phrasing, and expression.
• Read aloud unpracticed grade-level text at a fluency rate of 115–125 words correct per minute.

1.4.3 Apply different reading rates to match text.

• Adjust reading rate to match difficulty and type of text and the purposes for reading (e.g., skimming for facts, scanning for key words, and close/careful reading for understanding new or complex ideas).

EALR 2: The student understands the meaning of what is read.

Component 2.1 Demonstrate evidence of reading comprehension.

2.1.3 Apply comprehension monitoring strategies during and after reading: determine importance using theme, main ideas, and supporting details in grade-level informational/expository text and/or literary/narrative text. W

• State the main idea of an informational/expository text passage and provide three or more text-based details that support it.
• State the main idea of a literary/narrative text passage and support with three details from the story.
• Select, from multiple choices, the main/major idea of a passage, poem, or selection.
• State the theme/message in culturally relevant literary/narrative text and support with text-based evidence.
• Organize main ideas and supporting details in a teacher-selected graphic organizer to enhance comprehension of text.

2.1.4 Apply comprehension monitoring strategies before, during, and after reading: use prior knowledge/ schema.

• Explain connections between self and characters, events, and information occurring within a text or among multiple texts.
• Activate prior knowledge about a topic and organize information into a graphic organizer to aid in comprehension of text

2.1.5 Apply comprehension monitoring strategies before, during, and after reading: predict and infer from grade-level informational/expository text and/or literary/narrative text. W

• Predict text content using prior knowledge and text features.
• Use text and prior knowledge to make, confirm, or revise inferences and predictions.
• Select, from multiple choices, a prediction, or inference from literary/narrative text (e.g., how a poet or author feels, how a character feels, what a character will do, what is likely to happen next or at the end of the story or poem).
• Select, from multiple choices, a prediction or inference from informational/expository text (e.g., what is likely to happen, or what will happen next).
• Organize information that supports a prediction or inference in a graphic organizer to enhance comprehension of text.

2.1.6 Apply comprehension monitoring strategies before, during, and after reading: monitor for meaning, create mental images, and generate and answer questions in grade-level informational/expository text and/or literary/narrative text.

• Monitor for meaning by identifying where and why comprehension was lost and use comprehension-repair strategies to regain meaning.
• Generate and answer questions before, during, and after reading.
• Draw, write about, or verbally describe the mental imagery that occurs while reading.
• Organize information to monitor for meaning; generate and answer questions in a teacher-selected graphic organizer to enhance comprehension.

2.1.7 Apply comprehension strategies during and after reading: summarize grade-level informational/expository text and literary/narrative text. W

• Summarize the events, information, or ideas in an informational/expository text (e.g., causes of an event like a war or a tornado, steps in building a snow cave).
• Summarize culturally relevant literary/narrative text.
• Select, from multiple choices, a sentence that best summarizes the story or informational selection.
• Organize summary information in a teacher-selected graphic organizer to enhance comprehension.

Component 2.2 Understand and apply knowledge of text components to comprehend text.

2.2.1 Understand sequence in informational/expository text and literary/narrative text.W

• Explain ideas or events in sequential order. (Note: Differences in story telling order exist between cultures. For example, in some cultures the end of the story is told first.)
• Recognize and explain literary/narrative text written out of sequence (e.g., flashbacks, tales from other cultures).
• Explain steps in a process (e.g., problem solving in mathematics, life cycle of a salmon).
• Select, from multiple choices, the order of ideas, facts or events (e.g., what happened first, next, last; the order in which ideas or facts were introduced).

2.2.2 Apply features of printed and electronic text to locate and comprehend text. W

• Identify and use grade-level appropriate text features.
• Explain how certain text features help you understand the selection.
• Interpret information from graphic features.
• Identify, from multiple choices, where certain information/ideas might be found in the text.
• Use icons, pull-down menus, key word searches on an electronic device.

2.2.3 Understand and analyze story elements. W

• Use knowledge of situation and characters’ actions, motivations, feelings, and physical attributes to determine characters’ traits.
• Identify the main events in a plot, including the cause and effect relationship in problem solving.
• Describe the components of setting and explain how and why setting is important to the story.
• Differentiate between first and third person point of view in a selection and explain the difference.
• Select, from multiple choices, the best description of a character or setting in a story or poem (e.g., character traits, feelings, character’s problem, or importance of character).

2.2.4 Apply understanding of text organizational structures.

• Recognize and use previously learned text organizational structures (simple listing, sequential order, description, compare and contrast) to aid comprehension.
• Identify and use text written in the text organizational structure of chronological order to find and organize information and comprehend text.

Component 2.3 Expand comprehension by analyzing, interpreting, and synthesizing information and ideas in literary and informational text.

2.3.1 Understand and analyze the relationship between and among informational/expository text and literary/narrative text. W

• Compare and contrast plots, characters, and settings in multiple texts.
• Compare and contrast information (e.g., similar topics written in different genres such as a short story and a poem or magazine article and encyclopedia).
• Select, from multiple choices, a sentence that describes how specific literary/narrative elements are alike or different in a poem or story (e.g., two characters and/or their feelings, a character and the author, two events, two selections).
• Select, from multiple choices, a sentence that describes how information is alike or different (e.g., information from two selections).
• Recognize and explain cause and effect relationships in informational/expository text and literary/narrative text, using evidence from the text.
• Select, from multiple choices, a sentence that explains the cause of events or the effects of actions.

2.3.2 Apply understanding of systems for organizing information and analyze appropriate sources.

• Use multiple organizational systems to locate information from reference and content area materials.
• Select appropriate resources for locating information (e.g., thesaurus, website, directory) on a specific topic or for a specific purpose.

2.3.3 Understand literary/narrative devices. W

• Explain the meaning of simile, personification, metaphor, idiom, and humor in literary/narrative passages.

Component 2.4 Think critically and analyze author’s use of language, style, purpose, and perspective in literary and informational text.

2.4.1 Apply the skills of drawing conclusions, providing a response, and expressing insights to informational/expository text and literary/narrative text. W

• Give a personal response that demonstrates insight about text, using a teacher-generated prompt (e.g., what would be the best/worst part of an event or situation).
• Draw conclusions from text, citing text-based information to support the conclusion (e.g., how the story or information might be useful; to whom a story or information might be useful).

2.4.2 Analyze the author’s purpose for and style of writing in both informational/expository text and literary/narrative text. W

• Determine the author’s purpose and support decision with evidence/details from text.
• Identify and explain how the author’s use of word choice, sentence structure and length, and/or literary/narrative devices affects the reader, using a variety of texts.

2.4.3 Understand the difference between fact and opinion. W

• Identify facts and opinions; provide evidence from the text to support your answer.
• Select, from multiple choices, a statement that is a fact or an opinion.

2.4.4 Evaluate author’s effectiveness for a chosen audience. W

• Read an article and decide if a chosen audience (e.g., teachers, parents, classmates) would agree or disagree with what the author says.

2.4.5 Understand how to generalize from text. W

• Generalize about a topic after reading more than one text (e.g., make generalizations about life on the prairie after reading several informational/expository and literary/narrative accounts of the migration west).
• Generalize about characters and characteristics in similar stories from different cultures (e.g., the “trickster” type tales such as Coyote in Native American literature; animals in African folk tales like Ananzi (the spider); and Br’er Rabbit stories of the Deep South).

EALR 3: The student reads different materials for a variety of purposes.

Component 3.1 Read to learn new information.

3.1.1 Understand how to select and use appropriate resources.

• Collect and use information from a variety of resources to solve a problem or answer a question.

Component 3.2 Read to perform a task.

3.2.1 Understand information gained from reading to perform a specific task.

• Interpret information from common environmental print to solve a problem or perform a task (e.g., use a catalog to choose items within a budget).

3.2.2 Understand a variety of functional documents.

• Explain the information in functional documents related to hobbies or interests (e.g., skate boarding magazines, books about animals, e-mail, and letters from friends).

Component 3.4 Read for literary experience in a variety of genres.

3.4.2 Understand contemporary and traditional literature written in a variety of genres.

• Explain the characteristics of a variety of genres.
• Respond to literature from a variety of genres using teacher or self-generated prompts appropriate to the text and content.

3.4.3 Analyze a variety of literature representing different cultures and traditions.

• Compare and contrast cultures and traditions from a variety of literature.
• Generalize about traditions after reading literature from various cultures (e.g., customs, ceremonies, celebrations).

EALR 4: The student sets goals and evaluates progress to improve reading.

Component 4.1 Assess reading strengths and need for improvement.

4.1.1 Apply strategies to monitor reading progress.

• Identify reading strengths and weaknesses and select targets on which to work.
• Track progress in reading achievement with graphs, charts, and checklists.

4.1.2 Apply strategies for setting grade-level appropriate reading goals.

• Set reading goals, create a plan to meet those goals, and monitor progress toward implementing the plan with teacher assistance.

Component 4.2 Develop interests and share reading experiences.

4.2.1 Evaluate authors, books, and genres to select favorites.

• Discuss and share favorite authors, books, and genres with others. Explain reason for choices.