Grade Four Literacy Instruction

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Literacy Component

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What It Looks Like In Our Classrooms

Tips & Resources for Families

phonemic awareness

Phonemic awareness instruction occurs as needed in individual or small group lessons.Lessons include rhyming as well as isolating, segmenting, adding, deleting, substituting and blending sounds.

Phonological Awareness and Older Students

phonics

Phonics instruction becomes increasingly embedded in vocabulary development across all content areas.  Instruction may include the construction, deconstruction and sorting of multisyllabic words. Increased complexity of word syllabication, affix and morphology becomes evident.

Phonics-  Help at Home


fluency

Fluency instruction occurs in a variety of settings throughout the school day, including whole group and small group lessons. Instruction incorporates read alouds, readers theater, repeated readings, partner reading and independent reading.

6 Ways to Help Your Child's Reading Fluency

vocabulary

Vocabulary instruction is embedded throughout the school day, focusing on both oral and written language. Instruction involves the intentional use of increasingly complex academic language and content specific vocabulary.  

Building Vocabulary with These Writing Activities

comprehension

Text comprehension instruction occurs whenever students interact with text. Instruction involves repeated readings of high interest text grounded in a variety of genres, cultures and perspectives. In addition, instruction involves continuous teacher modeling, opportunities to partner read, participation in book clubs and independent reading.  Teachers work with students to expand higher level comprehension skills beyond and about the text.

Parent Strategies for Improving Their Child’s Reading and Writing

written expression

Writing instruction at the upper elementary grades involves direct, systematic instruction in responding to text and writing across a variety of genres throughout the day.  As writing expectations become more demanding, writing instruction emphasizes student voice, dialogue, character development and the use of evidence to compare multiple texts.

4th Grade Writing Suggestions