Grade 4
Grade 4 teachers foster a supportive transition between the Lower and Middle School, and maintain a year-long theme of courage and bravery.
Opportunities in the arts, intramural sports, extracurricular activities, and community service set the stage for further social and emotional growth as students are introduced to a more challenging academic curriculum.
Grade 4 students gain more of a leadership role in our school community, mentoring primary school students as part of the Pals program and participating as grade representatives to the Middle School Student Council.
Grade 4 Highlights
- Team Building at Camp Wing
- Egg Drop Project
- Community Shelter Building Activity
- Pals
- Malawi Pen Pals
- Lunch Buddies for K Students
- Student Council Opportunities
In the Classroom
Math concepts transition from games to understanding topics like multiplying with single and multi-digit whole numbers, identifying factors and factor pairs, geometric concepts, and adding, subtracting, and converting fractions. Students experiment with more advanced math subjects like factorization, statistical data landmarks, and graphing in the X/Y plane before entering Grade 5.
Students experience an introduction to lab science through engaging topics like the brain, animal migration, nutrition, the physics of sound, chemical reactions, consumer science, vermicomposting, and plants.
Students explore the Spanish language and culture, as well as develop a deeper understanding of grammar and pronunciation through conversation as they formulate questions and appropriate responses.
Fourth graders study and practice language arts through carefully developed cross-curricular experiences combined with reading and writing instruction with an emphasis on reading comprehension and expository writing. Students read a variety of genres, with an emphasis on enjoyment, discussion skills, and text connections, using multiple modes to express comprehension, including Literature Circles, book groups, and writing about reading. Students continue to build foundational writing skills - such as using evidence to support a thesis, paragraphing, writing strong introductions, transitions, and conclusions, and developing deeper vocabularies and writing conventions - throughout all stages of the writing process.
Students are introduced to expository writing while developing paragraphs and research reports that emphasize topic and closing sentences, transition words, and mechanics. Throughout the academic year, their work is refined through the writing process as they brainstorm, draft, revise, and publish their work.
Students read and discuss six–seven novels as a class, sparking conversations within their reading circles and book groups that address characterization, theme, and plot. Reading comprehension is measured via writing reflects, and literature circles facilitate class discussions regarding topics such as vocabulary, themes, setting, and the authors’ intent.
