Welcome to 4th Grade!
Here’s what you can expect this year in terms of curriculum and homework expectations. Our goal is to help your child grow as an independent, confident learner while preparing them for the upper grades and beyond!
Daily Reading: Students are expected to read 20–30 minutes at home, 5 days a week.
Book Reports: One assigned each quarter.
Writing:
We will use Six Traits of Writing and Step Up to Writing as guides.
Students will explore expository, descriptive, persuasive, and narrative writing.
Writing prompts and assignments will be given throughout the year.
Grammar: Taught for mastery, with occasional homework.
Weekly word lists posted on the class website every Monday.
Spelling tests every Friday.
Occasional spelling homework may be assigned.
Daily math homework to reinforce classroom instruction.
Fact fluency is critical! Students should practice multiplication and division facts at home if not yet mastered.
Timed tests will be given to track progress.
Long-term projects will be assigned periodically, with clear guidelines and due dates.
Read 20–30 minutes daily
Practice weekly spelling words
Review math facts nightly
Complete any unfinished classwork at home
Students who use class time well will typically have less to complete at home. Check the Parent Portal and my class website regularly for updates and assignment information.
Late assignments will receive a point deduction.
Work is expected to be returned the next day.
After 5 days, missing work may be recorded as a zero in the gradebook.
Any assignment scored below 70% must be corrected and returned.
4th grade is the first year students receive letter grades on progress reports.
Some assignments will also be marked with standards-based scores:
4 = Above Standards
3 = Meets Standards
2 = Working Toward Standards
1 = Below Standards
You may also see ✓+, ✓, or ✓– as shorthand indicators.
As upper-grade students, 4th and 5th graders are developing more complex thinking and learning skills. While they’re still very much children who benefit from play and nurturing environments, they’ll also be:
Thinking more deeply and critically
Making connections across subjects
Becoming more independent with their learning and planning