Grade 4 reading and writing skills

• Reading: Literature
• Reading: Informational Text
• Reading: Foundational Skills
• Writing
• Speaking and Listening
• Language

Reading: Literature RL · 9 standards · 8 covered, 1 partly covered

• RL.4.1
  Covered

  Use details and examples from a story to explain it and draw inferences

  • Reading · Unit 1 · Theme and Summary: Making Inferences
  • Reading · Unit 7 · Reading Novels Closely: Describing a Character With Evidence
• RL.4.2
  Covered

  Find a story's theme and summarize it

  • Reading · Unit 1 · Theme and Summary: Finding the Theme, Summarizing a Story
  • Reading · Unit 12 · Theme Across Cultures (whole unit, 6 lessons)
• RL.4.3
  Covered

  Describe a character, setting or event in depth

  • Reading · Unit 7 · Reading Novels Closely: How Setting Matters
  • Reading · Unit 11 · Characters, Settings and Events (whole unit, 7 lessons)
• RL.4.4
  Covered

  Work out word meanings, including allusions to characters from mythology

  • Reading · Unit 5 · Myths and Legends: Myths in Our Words
  • Reading · Unit 13 · Allusions and Word Origins: Allusions in Stories
• RL.4.5
  Covered

  Explain how poems, plays and prose differ and use terms like verse, meter and stage directions

  • Reading · Unit 4 · Poetry, Drama and Narrators (whole unit, 4 lessons)
  • Reading · Unit 17 · Poetry Deep Dive (whole unit, 7 lessons)
  • Reading · Unit 18 · Drama in Depth (whole unit, 6 lessons)
• RL.4.6
  Covered

  Compare first-person and third-person narration

  • Reading · Unit 4 · Poetry, Drama and Narrators: First and Third Person
  • Reading · Unit 20 · Comparing Across Texts: Comparing Narrators
• RL.4.7
  Covered

  Connect a story or play to its audio, film or stage version

  • Reading · Unit 14 · Visual and Oral Information: Comparing a Story and Its Audio, Comparing a Text and Its Play Version
  • Reading · Unit 20 · Comparing Across Texts: Comparing a Book and a Film
• RL.4.9
  Covered

  Compare how stories and myths from different cultures handle similar themes

  • Reading · Unit 12 · Theme Across Cultures: Comparing Themes in Two Cultures, Patterns of Events in Tales, Trickster Tales Around the World
• RL.4.10
  Partly covered

  Read grade 4–5 stories, dramas and poems proficiently

  Short passages in lessons; no longer texts are assigned in lessons (the Library has chapter books).

  • Reading · Unit 7 · Reading Novels Closely (whole unit, 4 lessons)
  • Reading · Unit 20 · Comparing Across Texts (whole unit, 7 lessons)

Reading: Informational Text RI · 10 standards · 9 covered, 1 partly covered

• RI.4.1
  Covered

  Use details and examples from a fact text to explain it and draw inferences

  • Reading · Unit 6 · Explaining Events: Quoting Accurately
  • Reading · Unit 10 · Main Idea Deep Dive: Quoting to Support an Answer, Answering With Text Evidence
• RI.4.2
  Covered

  Find the main idea, explain how details support it and summarize

  • Reading · Unit 10 · Main Idea Deep Dive: Main Idea of a Text, Supporting Details, Summarizing Nonfiction
• RI.4.3
  Covered

  Explain events, procedures and ideas, including what happened and why

  • Reading · Unit 6 · Explaining Events: Explaining a Process
  • Reading · Unit 16 · Historical Accounts: Explaining Historical Events
  • Reading · Unit 19 · Science and Technical Texts: Explaining Procedures, Explaining Scientific Ideas
• RI.4.4
  Covered

  Work out the meaning of academic and subject words

  • Reading · Unit 13 · Allusions and Word Origins: Precise Academic Words
  • Reading · Unit 19 · Science and Technical Texts: Science Vocabulary From Context
• RI.4.5
  Covered

  Describe text structure: chronology, comparison, cause and effect, problem and solution

  • Reading · Unit 2 · How Informational Texts Work (whole unit, 4 lessons)
  • Reading · Unit 10 · Main Idea Deep Dive: Cause and Effect Structure, Description Structure
• RI.4.6
  Covered

  Compare a firsthand and a secondhand account of the same event

  • Reading · Unit 6 · Explaining Events: Firsthand and Secondhand
  • Reading · Unit 16 · Historical Accounts: Comparing Two Accounts
  • Reading · Unit 20 · Comparing Across Texts: Comparing Firsthand Accounts
• RI.4.7
  Covered

  Interpret charts, graphs, timelines and other visuals and explain how they help

  • Reading · Unit 2 · How Informational Texts Work: Using Charts and Diagrams
  • Reading · Unit 14 · Visual and Oral Information: Reading Timelines, Reading Maps, Graphs With Text
  • Reading · Unit 19 · Science and Technical Texts: Technical Diagrams
• RI.4.8
  Covered

  Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support points

  • Reading · Unit 8 · Persuasion and Media: Reasons and Evidence
  • Reading · Unit 15 · Author's Points and Evidence: Matching Reasons to Points, Strong and Weak Evidence
• RI.4.9
  Covered

  Combine information from two texts on the same topic

  • Reading · Unit 6 · Explaining Events: Combining Two Texts
  • Reading · Unit 16 · Historical Accounts: Integrating Two History Texts
  • Reading · Unit 19 · Science and Technical Texts: Integrating Information to Explain
  • Reading · Unit 20 · Comparing Across Texts: Combining Facts From Three Texts
• RI.4.10
  Partly covered

  Read grade 4–5 informational texts proficiently

  Short passages in lessons.

  • Reading · Unit 16 · Historical Accounts (whole unit, 6 lessons)
  • Reading · Unit 19 · Science and Technical Texts (whole unit, 7 lessons)

Reading: Foundational Skills RF · 2 standards · 1 covered, 1 partly covered

• RF.4.3
  Covered

  Use letter-sound knowledge, syllables and word parts to read unfamiliar words

  • Reading · Unit 9 · Reading Long Words: Syllable Types, Breaking Up Long Words, Prefixes That Change Meaning, Suffixes That Change Word Types
• RF.4.4
  Partly covered

  Read grade 4 texts aloud accurately and smoothly, with understanding

  Fluency is taught, but the app doesn't listen to children read aloud.

  • Reading · Unit 9 · Reading Long Words: Reading Fluently With Accuracy

Writing W · 10 standards · 0 covered, 9 partly covered

• W.4.1
  Partly covered

  Write opinion pieces with grouped reasons, facts and a conclusion

  Each part is taught and practiced with short answers; children don't write and hand in whole essays in the app.

  • Writing · Unit 5 · Opinion Writing (whole unit, 4 lessons)
  • Writing · Unit 16 · Opinion Essays in Depth (whole unit, 9 lessons)
• W.4.2
  Partly covered

  Write informative pieces with grouped information, facts, quotes and a conclusion

  Taught step by step and practiced with short answers; no full pieces are written in the app.

  • Writing · Unit 3 · Informational Writing (whole unit, 4 lessons)
  • Writing · Unit 10 · Informative Essays (whole unit, 9 lessons)
• W.4.3
  Partly covered

  Write narratives with a narrator, dialogue, description, transitions and an ending

  Taught step by step and practiced with short answers; no full pieces are written in the app.

  • Writing · Unit 4 · Narrative Craft (whole unit, 4 lessons)
  • Writing · Unit 13 · Story Writing Workshop (whole unit, 9 lessons)
• W.4.4
  Partly covered

  Write clearly for the task, purpose and audience

  Practiced through short answers and examples.

  • Writing · Unit 14 · Formal and Informal Language: Audience and Purpose
• W.4.5
  Partly covered

  With help, plan, revise and edit writing

  Practiced on sample writing, not the child's own.

  • Writing · Unit 10 · Informative Essays: Revising an Informative Essay
  • Writing · Unit 13 · Story Writing Workshop: Revising a Narrative
  • Writing · Unit 16 · Opinion Essays in Depth: Revising an Opinion Essay
• W.4.6
  Partly covered

  Use technology to publish and work with others, with keyboarding skills

  Lessons explain how; publishing happens away from the app.

  • Writing · Unit 20 · Technology and Publishing (whole unit, 9 lessons)
• W.4.7
  Partly covered

  Do short research projects

  Lessons explain how; projects happen away from the app.

  • Writing · Unit 6 · Research Projects (whole unit, 4 lessons)
  • Writing · Unit 18 · Research Reports (whole unit, 9 lessons)
• W.4.8
  Partly covered

  Gather information, take notes, sort them and list sources

  • Writing · Unit 6 · Research Projects: Notes and Categories, Listing Sources
  • Writing · Unit 18 · Research Reports: Note Cards
• W.4.9
  Partly covered

  Use evidence from texts to support analysis and reflection

  Practiced with short answers.

  • Writing · Unit 7 · Writing About Literature (whole unit, 4 lessons)
  • Writing · Unit 19 · Writing About Informational Texts (whole unit, 9 lessons)
• W.4.10
  Not covered

  Write routinely, over short and extended time frames

  The app doesn't include regular free writing.

Speaking and Listening SL · 6 standards · 0 covered, 5 partly covered

• SL.4.1
  Not covered

  Take part in collaborative discussions

  Speaking and listening with others happen away from the app.

• SL.4.2
  Partly covered

  Paraphrase information presented in visual, spoken or other forms

  Taught with reading lessons; listening isn't practiced with others.

  • Reading · Unit 14 · Visual and Oral Information: Listening to a Speech, Comparing a Story and Its Audio
• SL.4.3
  Partly covered

  Identify the reasons and evidence a speaker gives

  • Reading · Unit 8 · Persuasion and Media: Comparing Points of View
  • Reading · Unit 14 · Visual and Oral Information: Listening to a Speech
• SL.4.4
  Partly covered

  Report on a topic or tell a story with facts and details, speaking clearly

  Presenting is explained; children don't present in the app.

  • Writing · Unit 18 · Research Reports: Presenting a Report
• SL.4.5
  Partly covered

  Add audio recordings and visuals to presentations

  Slideshows are explained; nothing is recorded in the app.

  • Writing · Unit 20 · Technology and Publishing: Making a Slideshow
• SL.4.6
  Partly covered

  Tell when to use formal or informal English

  Taught in writing; speaking isn't practiced.

  • Writing · Unit 14 · Formal and Informal Language: Formal or Informal?, Speaking Versus Writing

Language L · 6 standards · 6 covered

• L.4.1
  Covered

  Use grade 4 grammar: relative pronouns, progressive tenses, modal verbs, adjective order, prepositional phrases, fragments and run-ons, confused words

  • Writing · Unit 1 · Sentence Craft (whole unit, 4 lessons)
  • Writing · Unit 2 · Word Choice: Relative Pronouns, Modal Verbs
  • Writing · Unit 8 · Mechanics Mastery: Progressive Verb Tenses, Frequently Confused Words
  • Writing · Unit 9 · Clauses and Sentence Parts (whole unit, 9 lessons)
• L.4.2
  Covered

  Capitalize correctly, punctuate quotations and compound sentences, spell grade 4 words

  • Writing · Unit 8 · Mechanics Mastery: Commas in Compound Sentences and Addresses, Capitalization Rules
  • Writing · Unit 11 · Punctuation for Effect (whole unit, 9 lessons)
  • Writing · Unit 17 · Spelling and Word Parts (whole unit, 9 lessons)
• L.4.3
  Covered

  Choose precise words and punctuation for effect; use formal and informal English

  • Writing · Unit 2 · Word Choice: Precise Words
  • Writing · Unit 11 · Punctuation for Effect: Exclamation Points for Effect
  • Writing · Unit 14 · Formal and Informal Language (whole unit, 9 lessons)
• L.4.4
  Covered

  Use context, Greek and Latin affixes and roots, and reference works to find meanings

  • Reading · Unit 3 · Vocabulary and Figurative Language: Greek and Latin Roots
  • Reading · Unit 9 · Reading Long Words: Using a Dictionary and Thesaurus, Context Clues in Paragraphs
  • Writing · Unit 12 · Vocabulary for Writers: Using a Thesaurus, Using a Dictionary
• L.4.5
  Covered

  Understand similes, metaphors, idioms, adages, synonyms and antonyms

  • Reading · Unit 3 · Vocabulary and Figurative Language (whole unit, 4 lessons)
  • Reading · Unit 13 · Allusions and Word Origins: Synonyms and Antonyms
  • Writing · Unit 12 · Vocabulary for Writers: Similes and Metaphors in Writing, Idioms and Adages in Writing, Synonyms for Overused Words, Antonyms for Contrast
• L.4.6
  Covered

  Use grade 4 academic and subject words

  • Reading · Unit 13 · Allusions and Word Origins: Precise Academic Words
  • Writing · Unit 12 · Vocabulary for Writers: Academic Words, Words for Emotions

Every Grade 4 unit and lesson

Common Core State Standards © Copyright 2010 National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers. All rights reserved. The standard descriptions on these pages are KidUniversity's own short summaries, not the official text; read the full standards at thecorestandards.org. KidUniversity is not affiliated with or endorsed by the NGA Center or CCSSO.