Wisconsin Standards – English / Language Arts Grade 4

A. READING/LITERATURE

Content Standard

Students in Wisconsin will read and respond to a wide range of writing to build an understanding of written materials, of themselves, and of others.

Performance Standards

By the end of grade four, students will:

A.4.1 Use effective reading strategies to achieve their purposes in reading.

• Use a variety of strategies and word recognition skills, including rereading, finding context clues, applying their knowledge of letter-sound relationships, and analyzing word structures
• Infer the meaning of unfamiliar words in the context of a passage by examining known words, phrases and structures
• Demonstrate phonemic awareness by using letter/sound relationships as aids to pronouncing and understanding unfamiliar words and text
• Comprehend reading by using strategies such as activating prior knowledge, establishing purpose, self-correcting and self-monitoring, rereading, making predictions, finding context clues, developing visual images, applying knowledge of text structures, and adjusting reading rate according to purpose and difficulty
• Read aloud with age-appropriate fluency, accuracy, and expression
• Discern how written texts and accompanying illustrations connect to convey meaning
• Identify and use organizational features of texts, such as headings, paragraphs, and format, to improve understanding
• Identify a purpose for reading, such as gaining information, learning about a viewpoint, and appreciating literature

A.4.2 Read, interpret, and critically analyze literature.

• Recognize and recall elements and details of story structure, such as sequence of events, character, plot, and setting, in order to reflect on meaning
• Draw upon a reservoir of reading materials, including fairy tales, fables, and narratives from the United States and cultures worldwide, to understand plots, make predictions, and relate reading to prior knowledge and experience
• Summarize ideas drawn from stories, identifying cause-and-effect relationships, interpreting events and ideas, and connecting different works to each other and to real-life experiences
• Extend the literal meaning of a text by making inferences, and evaluate the significance and validity of texts in light of prior knowledge and experience

A.4.3 Read and discuss literary and nonliterary texts in order to understand human experience.

• Demonstrate the ability to integrate general knowledge about the world and familiarity with literary and nonliterary texts when reflecting upon life's experiences
• Identify and summarize main ideas and key points from literature, informational texts, and other print and nonprint sources
• Distinguish fiction from nonfiction, realistic fiction from fantasy, biography from autobiography, and poetry from prose
• Select a variety of materials to read for discovery, appreciation, and enjoyment, summarize the readings, and connect them to prior knowledge and experience

A.4.4 Read to acquire information.

• Summarize key details of informational texts, connecting new information to prior knowledge
• Identify a topic of interest then seek information by investigating available text resources

B. WRITING

Content Standard

Students in Wisconsin will write clearly and effectively to share information and knowledge, to influence and persuade, to create and entertain.

Performance Standards

By the end of grade four, students will:

B.4.1 Create or produce writing to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.

• Write nonfiction and technical pieces (summaries, messages, informational essays, basic directions, instructions, simple reports) that convey essential details and facts and provide accurate representations of events and sequences
• Write expressive pieces in response to reading, viewing, and life experiences (narratives, reflections, and letters) employing descriptive detail and a personal voice
• Write creative pieces (poetry, fiction, and plays) employing basic aesthetic principles appropriate to each genre
• Write in a variety of situations (timed and untimed, at school and at home) and adapt strategies, such as revision and the use of reference materials, to the situation
• Use a variety of writing technologies, including pen and paper as well as computers
• Write for a variety of readers, including peers, teachers, and other adults, adapting content, style, and structure to audience and situation

B.4.2 Plan, revise, edit, and publish clear and effective writing.

• Produce multiple drafts, including finished pieces, that demonstrate the capacity to generate, focus, and organize ideas and to revise the language, organization, and content of successive drafts in order to fulfill a specific purpose for communicating with a specific audience
• Explain the extent and reasons for revision in conference with a teacher
• Given a writing assignment to be completed in a limited amount of time, produce a well developed, well organized, and effective response in correct English and an appropriate voice

B.4.3 Understand the function of various forms, structures, and punctuation marks of standard American English and use them appropriately in communications.

• Understand and use parts of speech effectively, including nouns, pronouns, and adjectives
• Use adverbials effectively, including words and phrases
• Employ principles of agreement related to number, gender, and case
• Capitalize proper nouns, titles, and initial words of sentences
• Use punctuation marks and conjunctions, as appropriate, to separate sentences and connect independent clauses
• Use commas correctly to punctuate appositives and lists
• Spell frequently used words correctly
• Use word order and punctuation marks to distinguish statements, questions, exclamations, and commands

C. ORAL LANGUAGE

Content Standard

Students in Wisconsin will listen to understand and will speak clearly and effectively for diverse purposes.

Performance Standards

By the end of grade four, students will:

C.4.1 Orally communicate information, opinions, and ideas effectively to different audiences for a variety of purposes.

• Identify and discuss criteria for effective oral presentations, including such factors as eye contact, projection, tone, volume, rate, and articulation
• Read aloud effectively from previously-read material
• Speaking from notes or a brief outline, communicate precise information and accurate instructions in clearly organized and sequenced detail
• Present autobiographical or fictional stories that recount events effectively to large and small audiences
• Participate in group readings, such as choral, echo, and shadow reading
• Perform dramatic readings and presentations
• Distinguish between fact and opinion and provide evidence to support opinions

C.4.2 Listen to and comprehend oral communications.

• Follow basic directions
• Identify and summarize key points of a story or discussion
• Retell stories and reports of events in proper sequence
• Follow sequence in plot and character development, predict outcomes, and draw conclusions
• Recall the content of stories after hearing them, relate the content to prior knowledge, and answer various types of factual and interpretive questions about the stories
• Distinguish fact from fantasy and fact from opinion
• Understand increasingly complex sentence structures
• Understand a variety of word structures and forms, such as affixes, roots, homonyms, antonyms, synonyms, and word analogies

C.4.3 Participate effectively in discussion.

• Volunteer relevant information, ask relevant questions, and answer questions directly
• Use appropriate eye contact and other nonverbal cues
• Use appropriate strategies to keep a discussion going
• Reflect on the ideas and opinions of others and respond thoughtfully
• Ask for clarification and explanation of unfamiliar words and ideas
• Summarize information conveyed through discussion

D. LANGUAGE

Content Standard

Students in Wisconsin will apply their knowledge of the nature, grammar, and variations of American English.

Performance Standards

By the end of grade four, students will:

D.4.1 Develop their vocabulary of words, phrases, and idioms as a means of improving communication.

• Consult dictionaries, thesauruses, and other resources to find and compare definitions, choose among synonyms, and spell words correctly
• Use their knowledge of roots, prefixes, and suffixes to interpret and convey the meaning of words
• Identify common figures of speech and use them appropriately

D.4.2 Recognize and interpret various uses and adaptations of language in social, cultural, regional, and professional situations, and learn to be flexible and responsive in their use of English.

• Identify various styles and purposes of oral and written language and learn to communicate effectively in commonly occurring situations
• Describe and give examples of variations in American English that appear in different social, cultural, regional, and professional environments

E. MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY

Content Standard: Students in Wisconsin will use media and technology critically and creatively to obtain, organize, prepare and share information; to influence and persuade; and to entertain and be entertained.

Performance Standards: By the end of grade four, students will:

E.4.1 Use computers to acquire, organize, analyze, and communicate information.

• Operate common computer hardware and software
• Use basic word-processing, graphics, and drawing programs
• Create, store, and retrieve electronic files
• Access information using electronic reference resources, such as library catalog, encyclopedias, almanacs, and indexes
• Generate, send, and retrieve electronic messages

E.4.2 Make informed judgments about media and products.

• Identify the intent or appeal behind products and messages promoted via media
• Recognize basic propaganda techniques
• Identify images and symbols central to particular messages

E.4.3 Create products appropriate to audience and purpose.

• Write news articles appropriate for familiar media
• Create simple advertising messages and graphics appropriate for familiar media
• Prepare, perform, and tape simple radio and television scripts
• Prepare and perform school announcements and program scripts

E.4.4 Demonstrate a working knowledge of media production and distribution.

• Make distinctions between messages presented on radio, television, and in print
• Recognize how messages are adjusted for different audiences
• Identify sales approaches and techniques aimed at children

E.4.5 Analyze and edit media work as appropriate to audience and purpose.

• Generate and edit media work as appropriate to audience and purpose, sequencing the presentation effectively and adding or deleting information as necessary to achieve desired effects
• Provide feedback to (and receive it from) peers about the content, organization, and overall effect of media work

F. RESEARCH AND INQUIRY

 Content Standard

Students in Wisconsin will locate, use, and communicate information from a variety of print and nonprint materials.

Performance Standards

By the end of grade four, students will:

F.4.1 Conduct research and inquiry on self-selected or assigned topics, issues, or problems and use an appropriate form to communicate their findings.

• Propose research by formulating initial questions, narrowing the focus of a topic, identifying prior knowledge, and developing a basic plan for gathering information
• Conduct research by identifying, locating, exploring, and effectively using multiple sources of information appropriate to the inquiry, including print, nonprint, and electronic sources
• Recognize, record, organize, and acknowledge information pertinent to a project, accurately blending discoveries into answers
• Present the results of inquiry, reporting and commenting on the substance and process of learning, orally and in writing, using appropriate visual aids

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