Grade 4 ELA Connecticut Standards

Conduct research and evaluate and communicate findings to answer questions or solve problems.

Create clear and coherent grade-appropriate speech and text.

Analyze and critique the arguments of others orally and in writing.

Construct meaning from oral presentations and literary and informational text through grade-appropriate listening, reading, and viewing.

Determine the meaning of words and phrases in oral presentations and literary and informational text.

Participate in grade-appropriate oral and written exchanges of information, ideas, and analyses, responding to peer, audience, or reader comments and questions.

Adapt language choices to purpose, task, and audience when speaking and writing.

Speak and write about grade-appropriate complex literary and informational texts and topics.

Make accurate use of standard English to communicate in grade appropriate speech and writing.

Construct grade-appropriate oral and written claims and support them with reasoning and evidence.

Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.

Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases by using context clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, and consulting general and specialized reference materials, as appropriate.

Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.

Acquire and use accurately a range of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when encountering an unknown term important to comprehension or expression.

Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.

Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently.

Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.

Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.

Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.

Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole.

Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.

Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.

Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence.

Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take.

Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.

Evaluate a speaker's point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric.

Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express information and enhance understanding of presentations.

Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and communicative tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.

Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.

Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.

Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.

Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.

Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others.

Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.

Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism.

Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

Use relative pronouns (who, whose, whom, which, that) and relative adverbs (where, when, why).

Form and use the progressive (e.g., I was walking; I am walking; I will be walking) verb tenses.

Use modal auxiliaries (e.g., can, may, must) to convey various conditions.

Order adjectives within sentences according to conventional patterns (e.g., a small red bag rather than a red small bag).

Form and use prepositional phrases.

Produce complete sentences, recognizing and correcting inappropriate fragments and run-ons.

Correctly use frequently confused words (e.g., to, too, two; there, their).

Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

Use correct capitalization.

Use commas and quotation marks to mark direct speech and quotations from a text.

Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction in a compound sentence.

Spell grade-appropriate words correctly, consulting references as needed.

Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.

Choose words and phrases to convey ideas precisely.

Choose punctuation for effect.

Differentiate between contexts that call for formal English (e.g., presenting ideas) and situations where informal discourse is appropriate (e.g., small-group discussion).

Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 4 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

Use context (e.g., definitions, examples, or restatements in text) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

Use common, grade-appropriate Greek and Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., telegraph, photograph, autograph).

Consult reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation and determine or clarify the precise meaning of key words and phrases.

Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.

Explain the meaning of simple similes and metaphors (e.g., as pretty as a picture) in context.

Recognize and explain the meaning of common idioms, adages, and proverbs.

Demonstrate understanding of words by relating them to their opposites (antonyms) and to words with similar but not identical meanings (synonyms).

Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal precise actions, emotions, or states of being (e.g., quizzed, whined, stammered) and that are basic to a particular topic (e.g., wildlife, conservation, and endangered when discussing animal preservation).

Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.

Use combined knowledge of all letter-sound correspondences, syllabication patterns, and morphology (e.g., roots and affixes) to read accurately unfamiliar multisyllabic words in context and out of context.

Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

Read on-level text with purpose and understanding.

Read on-level prose and poetry orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings

Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary.

Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

By the end of year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, in the grades 4—5 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text.

Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.

Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words or phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area.

Describe the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in a text or part of a text.

Compare and contrast a firsthand and secondhand account of the same event or topic; describe the differences in focus and the information provided.

Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g., in charts, graphs, diagrams, time lines, animations, or interactive elements on Web pages) and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears.

Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text.

Integrate information from two texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.

Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, in the grades 4—5 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize the text.

Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a character's thoughts, words, or actions).

Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including those that allude to significant characters found in mythology (e.g., Herculean).

Explain major differences between poems, drama, and prose, and refer to the structural elements of poems (e.g., verse, rhythm, meter) and drama (e.g., casts of characters, settings, descriptions, dialogue, stage directions) when writing or speaking about a text.

Compare and contrast the point of view from which different stories are narrated, including the difference between first- and third-person narrations.

Make connections between the text of a story or drama and a visual or oral presentation of the text, identifying where each version reflects specific descriptions and directions in the text.

Compare and contrast the treatment of similar themes and topics (e.g., opposition of good and evil) and patterns of events (e.g., the quest) in stories, myths, and traditional literature from different cultures.

Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.

Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation and other information known about the topic to explore ideas under discussion.

Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions and carry out assigned roles.

Pose and respond to specific questions to clarify or follow up on information, and make comments that contribute to the discussion and link to the remarks of others.

Review the key ideas expressed and explain their own ideas and understanding in light of the discussion.

Paraphrase portions of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.

Identify the reasons and evidence a speaker provides to support particular points.

Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience in an organized manner, using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace.

Add audio recordings and visual displays to presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes.

Differentiate between contexts that call for formal English (e.g., presenting ideas) and situations where informal discourse is appropriate (e.g., small-group discussion); use formal English when appropriate to task and situation.

Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information

Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

Introduce a topic or text clearly, state an opinion, and create an organizational structure in which related ideas are grouped to support the writer's purpose.

Provide reasons that are supported by facts and details.

Link opinion and reasons using words and phrases (e.g., for instance, in order to, in addition).

Provide a concluding statement or section related to the opinion presented.

Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.

Introduce a topic clearly and group related information in paragraphs and sections; include formatting (e.g., headings), illustrations, and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.

Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples related to the topic.

Link ideas within categories of information using words and phrases (e.g., another, for example, also, because).

Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.

Provide a concluding statement or section related to the information or explanation presented

Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.

Orient the reader by establishing a situationand introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally.

Use dialogue and description to develop experiences and events or show the responses of characters to situations.

Use a variety of transitional words and phrases to manage the sequence of events.

Use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences and events precisely.

Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events.

Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing.

With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of one page in a single sitting.

Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.

Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; take notes and categorize information, and provide a list of sources.

Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

Apply grade 4 Reading standards to literature (e.g., "Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text [e.g., a character's thoughts, words, or actions].").

Apply grade 4 Reading standards to informational texts (e.g., "Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text").

Vocabulary Acquisition and Use

Knowledge of Language

Research to Build and Present Knowledge

College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Writing

Conventions of Standard English

Phonics and Word Recognition

Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity

Writing Standards

Key Ideas and Details

Comprehension and Collaboration

Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas

Knowledge of Language

Fluency

College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Reading

Craft and Structure

College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Speaking and Listening

Text Types and Purposes

College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Language

Comprehension and Collaboration

Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity

Text Types and Purposes

Reading Standards for Literature

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

Speaking and Listening Standards

Conventions of Standard English

Craft and Structure

Key Ideas and Details

Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas

Production and Distribution of Writing

(Not applicable to literature)

Language Standards

Production and Distribution of Writing

Reading Standards for Informational Text

Reading Standards: Foundational Skills

Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity

Range of Writing

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

Research to Build and Present Knowledge

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

Craft and Structure

Range of Writing

Key Ideas and Details

Vocabulary Acquisition and Use

An EL can construct meaning from oral presentations and literary and informational text through gradeappropriate listening, reading, and viewing.

An EL can make accurate use of standard English to communicate in gradeappropriate speech and writing.

An EL can participate in gradeappropriate oral and written exchanges of information, ideas, and analyses, responding to peer, audience, or reader comments and questions.

An EL can speak and write about grade-appropriate complex literary and informational texts and topics.

An EL can construct gradeappropriate oral and written claims and support them with reasoning and evidence.

An EL can conduct research and evaluate and communicate findings to answer questions or solve problems.

An EL can analyze and critique the arguments of others orally and in writing.

An EL can adapt language choices to purpose, task, and audience when speaking and writing.

An EL can determine the meaning of words and phrases in oral presentations and literary and informational text.

An EL can create clear and coherent grade-appropriate speech and text.

with prompting and supports, recognize and use a small number of frequently occurring nouns, noun phrases, and verbs and understand and respond to simple yes/no questions about familiar topics

with prompting and supports, communicate basic information about an event or topic and use a narrow range of vocabulary and syntactically simple sentences acquired from conversations, reading, and being read to

relying on context, visual aids, and knowledge of morphology in the native language, recognize the meaning of a few frequently occurring words, phrases, and formulaic expressions in simple oral discourse, readalouds, and written texts about familiar topics, experiences, or events

with prompting and supports, use frequently occurring words and phrases and recognize the meaning of some words learned through conversations, reading, and being read to

with prompting and supports, identify a point an author or speaker makes

with prompting and supports, conduct short individual or shared research projects to answer a question and recall information from experience and gather information from a few provided sources and label some key information

with prompting and supports, verbally or nonverbally express an opinion about a familiar topic using a limited number of words and phrases acquired in conversations, reading, and being read to

with prompting and supports, communicate basic information using words and phrases acquired in conversations, reading, and being read to. about familiar texts, topics, events, or objects in the environment

with prompting and supports, actively listen to others and participate in short conversations and short written exchanges using academic and domain specific vocabulary and respond verbally and nonverbally to simple questions and some whquestions about familiar topics

with prompting and supports, use a very limited set of strategies to: identify a few key words and phrases from read-alouds, simple written texts, and oral presentations

with prompting and supports, recognize and use some frequently occurring nouns, pronouns, verbs, prepositions, adjectives, adverbs, and conjunctions and produce simple sentences in response to prompts about familiar topics

with prompting and supports, communicate simple information about a topic and recount a simple sequence of events in order and use frequently occurring linking words (e.g., and, then)

using context, some visual aids, reference materials, and knowledge of morphology in the native language, determine the meaning of some frequently occurring words, phrases, and formulaic expressions in simple oral discourse, readalouds, and written texts about familiar topics, experiences, or events

with prompting and supports, use language for social and academic purposes and use some words learned through conversations, reading, and being read to

with prompting and supports, identify a point an author or speaker makes and identify a reason an author or speaker gives to support a main point

with prompting and supports, conduct short individual or shared research projects to answer a question and recall information from experience and gather information from provided sources and record some information

with prompting and supports, express an opinion about a familiar topic or event and give a reason to support the opinion and use academic and domain specific vocabulary

with prompting and supports, deliver short oral presentations and compose written texts with drawings or illustrations and use academic and domain specific vocabulary about familiar texts, topics, and experiences

with prompting and supports, actively listen to others and participate in short conversations and short written exchanges using academic and domain specific vocabulary and respond to simple questions and wh- questions and present information and ideas about familiar topics and texts

with prompting and supports, use an emerging set of strategies to: identify the main topic and retell/describe a few key details from read-alouds, simple written texts, and oral presentations

with guidance and supports, use some relative pronouns (e.g., who, whom, which, that), and use some relative adverbs (e.g., where, when, why), and use familiar prepositional phrases and produce and expand simple and compound sentences and recognize fragments and use frequently occurring modal auxiliaries

with guidance and supports, introduce an informational topic and present facts about the topic and recount a short sequence of events in order including key details, or explain a process, description, or comparison and contrast and use an increasing range of temporal and other linking words (e.g., next, because, and, also) and provide a concluding statement

using context, visual aids, reference materials, and a developing knowledge of English morphology, determine the meaning of frequently occurring words and phrases and determine the meanings of some idiomatic expressions in texts about familiar topics, experiences, or events

with guidance and supports, adapt language choices to different social and academic contexts and use high frequency general academic and contentspecific words, phrases, and expressions in conversation, discussions, and short written text

with guidance and supports, identify the main point of an author or speaker and tell how one or two reasons support the specific points an author or speaker makes or fails to make

with guidance and supports, conduct short individual or shared research projects to answer a question and recall information from experience and gather information from print and digital sources and identify and record key information in orderly notes and present findings in an oral or written text to a peer or small group

with guidance and supports, express an opinion about familiar topics, texts or events and introduce the topic and provide a few reasons or facts to support the opinion and use academic and domain specific vocabulary

with guidance and supports, deliver short oral presentations and compose written narratives or informational texts and use academic and domain specific vocabulary including a key details about familiar texts, topics, and experiences

with guidance and supports, participate in short conversations , discussions, and short written exchanges using academic and domain specific vocabulary and respond to others’ comments and add some comments of his or her own and ask and answer questions to gain information or clarify understanding about familiar topics and texts

with guidance and supports, use a developing set of strategies to: determine the main idea or theme and retell/describe a few key details and retell familiar stories from read-alouds, simple written texts, and oral presentations

use relative pronouns (e.g., who, whom, which, that), use relative adverbs (e.g., where, when, why), and use prepositional phrases • use subordinating conjunctions and produce and expand simple, compound, and a few complex sentences and recognize fragments and runons • use conventional patterns to order adjectives and use modal auxiliaries

introduce an informational topic develop the topic with facts and details and recount a detailed sequence of events, or explain a process, description, or comparison and contrast and use transitional words and phrases to connect events, ideas, and opinions (e.g., after a while, for example, in order to, as a result) and provide a concluding statement or section

using context, reference materials, and an increasing knowledge of English morphology (e.g. common root words and frequently occurring prefixes, determine the meaning of general academic and content-specific words, phrases and determine the meaning of a growing number of idiomatic expressions in texts about a variety of topics, experiences, or events

adapt language choices according to purpose, task, and audience and use a wide range of general academic and content-specific words and phrases in speech and writing

identify the main point of an author or speaker and describe how reasons support the specific points an author or speaker makes or fails to make

conduct short research projects to answer a question and recall information from experience and gather information from print and digital sources and summarize key ideas and information in organized notes, with charts, tables, or other graphics, as appropriate and present findings to a small or large group in an oral or written text and provide a list of sources

express an opinion about a variety of topics, texts, or events and introduce the topic and provide several reasons or facts to support the opinion and provide a concluding statement and use academic and domain specific vocabulary

including relevant general and specific details, deliver oral presentations and compose written narratives or informational texts and integrate graphics or multimedia, when useful and use academic and domain specific vocabulary about a variety of texts, topics, and experiences

participate in conversations, discussions, and participate in written exchanges using academic and domain specific vocabulary and build on the ideas of others and express his or her own ideas and ask and answer relevant questions aand add relevant information and evidence about a variety of topics and texts

use an increasing range of strategies to: determine the main idea or theme and explain how some key details support the main idea or theme and summarize part of a text from read-alouds, written texts, and oral presentations

use relative pronouns (e.g., who, whom, which, that), use relative adverbs (e.g., where, when, why) and use prepositional phrases • use subordinating conjunctions and (at Grade 5) use the progressive and perfect verb tenses and use verb tense to convey time, sequence, state, or condition and recognize and correct fragments and run-on sentences and use conventional patterns to order adjectives and use modal auxiliaries and produce and expand simple, compound, and complex sentences

introduce an informational topic develop the topic with facts and specific, relevant details and recount a coherent and detailed sequence of events, or explain a process, description, or comparison and contrast and use a variety of linking words and phrases to connect ideas, information, or events and provide a concluding statement or section

using context, reference materials, and knowledge of English morphology (e.g., root words, simple inflectional endings such as -ed, -ing, and some common prefixes and suffixes), determine the meaning of academic and contentspecific words and phrases and determine the meaning of figurative language (e.g., metaphors, similes, adages, and proverbs) in texts about a variety of topics, experiences, or events

adapt language choices and style (includes register) according to purpose, task, and audience and use a wide variety of general academic and content-specific words and phrases in speech and writing

identify the main point of an author or speaker and explain how an author or speaker uses reasons and evidence to support or fail to support particular points and (at grade 5) identify which reasons and evidence support which points

conduct short research projects to answer a question and recall information from experience and gather information from print and digital sources and summarize key ideas and information in detailed and orderly notes, with graphics, as appropriate to support the analysis and reflection of the topic and present findings in an organized oral or written text and provide a list of sources

express an opinion about a variety of topics, texts, or events introduce the topic and provide logically ordered reasons or facts to support the opinion and provide a concluding statement or section and use academic and domain specific vocabulary

including relevant details and examples to fully develop a topic, deliver oral presentations and compose written narrative or informational texts and integrate graphics or multimedia, when useful and use academic and domain specific vocabulary about a variety of texts, and topics

participate in extended conversations, discussions, and extended written exchanges using academic and domain specific vocabulary and build on the ideas of others and express his or her own ideas clearly and pose and respond to relevant questions and add relevant and detailed information using evidence and summarize the key ideas expressed about a variety of topics and texts

use a wide range of strategies to: determine two or more main ideas or themes and explain how key details support the main ideas or themes and summarize a text from read-alouds, written texts, and oral presentations