What does a student learn in StateConnecticut,GradeGrade 4,SubjectEnglish Language Arts?

Students read a story carefully, then back up their answers with specific lines or details from the text. They don't just say what they think; they point to the words that support it.

Students find the main message or lesson in a story, then trace how the author builds that idea scene by scene. They also summarize the key details that support it.

Students look at how a character's choices lead to what happens next in a story, and why events unfold the way they do. They trace cause and effect from the first page to the last.

Students figure out what words mean in context, including when an author uses a word to suggest a feeling or paint a picture rather than mean it literally. They also look at how word choices change the mood of a story.

Students look at how a story is built: how one paragraph leads into the next, how a single sentence can set up the whole ending, and how each part fits together to make the story work.

Reading a story from a bully's point of view feels different than reading it from the victim's. Students look at who is telling the story and explain how that choice changes what gets included, left out, or described.

Students compare a story told in words with the same story told through pictures, audio, or video. They think about what each version shows well and what it leaves out.

Students read a passage and decide whether the author's argument holds up. They check if the reasons make sense and if the examples given actually support the point being made.

Students read two stories or poems on the same topic and explain what each author did differently. They look at how the stories are alike, where they part ways, and what reading both teaches them that one alone would not.

Students read full books, stories, and poems on their own at the fourth-grade level. The goal is reading with enough understanding to follow the ideas without help.

Students read a nonfiction passage closely and point to specific sentences or details from the text to back up their answers. They also make reasonable guesses about things the author implies but does not state directly.

Students read a nonfiction passage and figure out the main point the author is making. Then they trace how that point builds across the text and sum up the key details that support it.

Students read a nonfiction passage and explain how a person, event, or idea changes from beginning to end. They also show how two of those things connect or influence each other.

Students figure out what tricky or unusual words mean inside a nonfiction passage, then notice how the author's word choices make the writing feel serious, surprising, or urgent.

Students look at how a nonfiction article or book is built. They figure out how one paragraph connects to the next and how the smaller pieces add up to the article's main point.

Students figure out who wrote a text and why, then notice how that shapes what the author included and how they said it. A nature magazine and a product ad can cover the same topic very differently.

Students look at a chart, photo, or diagram alongside a written passage and explain what the visual adds to the text. Reading is not just words on a page.

Students read a nonfiction passage and decide whether the author's main point holds up. They check if the reasons make sense and if the facts given actually support what the author is trying to prove.

Students read two books or articles on the same topic and compare what each author chooses to include, leave out, or explain differently. The goal is to understand the topic more fully by seeing how two writers approached it.

Grade 4 students read nonfiction passages on their own, without help, and understand what they say. That means following an article or report from start to finish and picking up the meaning as they go.

By fourth grade, students already know how print works. This standard checks that the basics are solid: reading left to right, recognizing where sentences start and stop, and understanding how letters and words are spaced on a page.

Students listen to spoken words and work with their parts: breaking words into syllables, identifying individual sounds, and manipulating those sounds to form new words.

Students use what they know about letter patterns, prefixes, and suffixes to sound out and read unfamiliar words on the page.

Students read aloud smoothly and accurately enough that the words stop being an obstacle. When reading flows, students can focus on what the text actually means.

Students write a paragraph (or more) arguing a point about a topic or something they read. They back up their claim with reasons and specific details from the text or their own knowledge.

Students write paragraphs that explain a topic clearly, using facts and details to help the reader understand something new.

Students write a story, real or made-up, with a clear sequence of events and specific details that bring the experience to life. The story has a beginning, a middle, and an end that fit together.

Students write pieces that fit the purpose: a story sounds like a story, a report sounds like a report, and the details and structure match what the reader needs.

Students learn that a first draft is just the start. They plan, revise, edit, and sometimes rewrite from scratch to make their writing clearer and stronger.

Students type, format, and share their writing using a computer or tablet, which might mean posting a finished piece online or working on a document with a classmate in real time.

Students pick a focused question, research it, and write up what they found. Projects can be short or take several days, but either way students show they actually understand the topic, not just copied facts.

Students find facts from books and websites, check whether each source can be trusted, and pull the information together in their own words.

Students find specific sentences or details from a book or article that back up their ideas. They point to what the text actually says, not just what they remember or think.

Students practice writing regularly, sometimes over several days and sometimes in a single sitting. They write for different reasons and different readers, not just one type of assignment.

Students come to discussions ready to talk, listen to what classmates say, and build on those ideas with their own. The goal is a real back-and-forth, not just waiting for a turn to speak.

Students watch, listen to, or read information presented as a video, chart, or spoken explanation, then use what they learned to answer questions or explain a topic in their own words.

Students listen to a speaker and decide whether the argument holds up: Is the main point clear? Does the reasoning make sense? Is the evidence real or just talk?

Students organize their ideas and facts into a clear order before speaking, so listeners can follow along from point to point. The topic, details, and word choices fit the reason for speaking and the people in the room.

Students add photos, charts, or short video clips to a presentation to help the audience understand the main idea. The visuals aren't decoration; they show something words alone can't.

Students practice switching between formal and casual speech depending on the situation. Talking to a principal sounds different from talking to a friend, and this standard asks students to know the difference and adjust on the spot.

Students apply standard grammar rules in their writing and speech. This includes using correct verb tenses, pronouns, and sentence structure so their meaning comes through clearly.

Students use correct capitalization, punctuation, and spelling in their writing. That means knowing when to capitalize, where commas and periods go, and how to spell words correctly.

Students learn to notice how word choice and sentence structure change depending on who's writing, who they're writing for, and why. That awareness helps them write more clearly and catch more meaning when they read.

When students hit an unfamiliar word, they figure out its meaning by looking at the surrounding sentences, breaking the word into parts like roots and prefixes, or checking a dictionary or glossary.

Students read phrases like "it's raining cats and dogs" and figure out what they really mean. They also explore how words connect to each other and notice shades of meaning between words that are close but not quite the same.

Students learn and use precise vocabulary from across subjects, including words found in textbooks, science, and history. They practice these words in reading, writing, and discussion so the words actually stick.