English Language Arts - Standard A - Performance Standards Grade 4

By the end of grade four, students will:

A.4.1 Use effective reading strategies to achieve their purposes in reading.

• Use a variety of strategies and word recognition skills, including rereading, finding context clues, applying their knowledge of letter-sound relationships, and analyzing word structures
• Infer the meaning of unfamiliar words in the context of a passage by examining known words, phrases and structures
• Demonstrate phonemic awareness by using letter/sound relationships as aids to pronouncing and understanding unfamiliar words and text
• Comprehend reading by using strategies such as activating prior knowledge, establishing purpose, self-correcting and self-monitoring, rereading, making predictions, finding context clues, developing visual images, applying knowledge of text structures, and adjusting reading rate according to purpose and difficulty
• Read aloud with age-appropriate fluency, accuracy, and expression
• Discern how written texts and accompanying illustrations connect to convey meaning
• Identify and use organizational features of texts, such as headings, paragraphs, and format, to improve understanding
• Identify a purpose for reading, such as gaining information, learning about a viewpoint, and appreciating literature

A.4.2 Read, interpret, and critically analyze literature.

• Recognize and recall elements and details of story structure, such as sequence of events, character, plot, and setting, in order to reflect on meaning
• Draw upon a reservoir of reading materials, including fairy tales, fables, and narratives from the United States and cultures worldwide, to understand plots, make predictions, and relate reading to prior knowledge and experience
• Summarize ideas drawn from stories, identifying cause-and-effect relationships, interpreting events and ideas, and connecting different works to each other and to real-life experiences
• Extend the literal meaning of a text by making inferences, and evaluate the significance and validity of texts in light of prior knowledge and experience

A.4.3 Read and discuss literary and nonliterary texts in order to understand human experience.

• Demonstrate the ability to integrate general knowledge about the world and familiarity with literary and nonliterary texts when reflecting upon life's experiences
• Identify and summarize main ideas and key points from literature, informational texts, and other print and nonprint sources
• Distinguish fiction from nonfiction, realistic fiction from fantasy, biography from autobiography, and poetry from prose
• Select a variety of materials to read for discovery, appreciation, and enjoyment, summarize the readings, and connect them to prior knowledge and experience

A.4.4 Read to acquire information.

• Summarize key details of informational texts, connecting new information to prior knowledge
• Identify a topic of interest then seek information by investigating available text resources

Content Standard A

For questions about this information, contact Beverly J. Kniess (608) 266-3706

Last updated on 2/25/2008 1:43:00 PM