Reading
Wit & Wisdom Curriculum
Our district adopted a new reading curriculum this year called Wit & Wisdom. It will integrate reading and writing together. This year, we will be covering 3 of the 4 modules as part of the curriculum.
Trimester 1
Module 1: A Great Heart
Essential Question: What does it mean to have a great heart, literally and figuratively?
Mentor Texts: Love That Dog by Sharon Creech and The Circulatory Story by Mary K. Corcoran
Writing focus: informative writing
Standards covered: RI 4.2, 4.4, and 4.7; RL 4.1, 4.2, and 4.5; W 4.2; SL 4.1; L 4.2 and 4.5
Trimester 2
Module 2: Extreme Settings
Essential Question: How does a challenging setting or physical environment change a person?
Mentor Texts: Hatchet by Gary Paulsen, Mountains by Seymour Simon, and SAS Survival Handbook: The Ultimate Guide to Surviving Anywhere by John "Lofty" Wiseman
Writing focus: narrative writing
Standards covered: RI 4.1 and 4.5; RL 4.1 and 4.3; W 4.3; SL 4.4; L 4.1 and 4.3
Trimester 3
Module 3: The Redcoats are Coming!
Essential Question: Why is it important to understand all sides of a story?
Mentor Texts: Woods Runner by Gary Paulsen, The Scarlet Stockings Spy by Trina Hakes Noble, and George vs George: The American Revolution as Seen from Both Sides by Rosalyn Schanzer
Writing focus: opinion writing (research)
Standards covered: RL 4.2 and 4.6; RI 4.3, 4.6, and 4.8; W 4.1; SL 4.1 and 4.4; L 4.1 and 4.5
District Reading Standards
Our district's literacy instruction focuses on the Common Core literacy standards. The standards cover both literature (fiction) and informational (non-fiction) texts. We cover these standards throughout the entire year. The main standards we focus on include:
RL&RI 4.1 - Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
RL 4.2 - Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize the text.
RI 4.2 - Determine a main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text
RL 4.3 - 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)
RI 4.3 - 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
RI 4.4 - Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words or phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area.
RL 4.5 - 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.
RI 4.5 - 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.
RL 4.6 - Compare and contrast the point of view from which different stories are narrated, including the difference between first- and third-person narrations.
RI 4.6 - Compare and contrast a firsthand and secondhand account of the same event or topic; describe the differences in focus and the information provided.
RI 4.7 - 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.
RI 4.8 - Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text.
SL 4.1 - Engages effectively in a range of collaborative discussions with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.
SL 4.4 - Reports 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
Nightly Reading
Students are expected to read 20 minutes each night. While there is no formal reading log to fill out, it is important that students spend some time reading each night. If you are looking for ways to help your child's reading improve, talk with them about what they're reading! Ask them to summarize what they read each night - this shouldn't take long and remind your child to focus on only the important parts. Ask them to make connections, ask questions. Ask them what they visualized when they read. Ask them what they learned in their reading!
Below, you'll see some question stems you can use for both fiction and non-fiction books to discuss your child's reading with them. These are the same questions that I use in class with the students when I confer with them about the books they are reading.
See below for more resources & information on F&P reading levels
Reading Resources
MyOn Reader: Leveled book library for students and MyOn News Current Events. Books have quizzes at the end to assess comprehension. Books available in English or Spanish.
NewsELA: Current event articles available for students (use Clever to sign in)