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Fourth Grade Curriculum
Reading: We will be using the Houghton-Mifflin company’s reading basal. Vocabulary, phonics, comprehension, literature, skill work, fluency and research skills will be the major components of the 4th grade reading curriculum. This basal integrates and embeds spelling, writing and grammar into the reading program. We will also be adding supplemental materials as needed. The use of the library and reading at home is greatly encouraged. Reading Counts is a school-wide individualized reading incentive program we will also be using. Students will be reading books on their level and earn points after passing computerized comprehension quizzes. We encourage students to read as many books as possible to improve fluency, vocabulary and to experience the joy of reading! We ability group for reading and use a Walk to Read model. English: Using and writing correct grammar is emphasized, as well as punctuation, sentence structure and oral communication. Students practice these skills through Daily Language, creative writing and other compositions. Students will be involved in the 4 stages of writing: prewriting, writing a rough draft, editing, and writing and sharing the final copy. We will use The Six Trait Analytical Assessment of Writing as well. Mathematics: The math textbook is Math Expressions by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Computation skills in 4th grade include; addition and subtraction of larger numbers and decimals and the multiplication of two and three digit numbers. Memorization of facts (+, -, x and /) are critical for success in computation. We will be using flashcards and timed tests to ensure proficiency. Please plan to practice these at home! Students will also read and write numbers through one billion, complete fraction/decimal (including money) activities, learn the order of operations, multiplication properties and calculate the area and perimeter of quadrilaterals. We ability group for math and use a Walk to Math model. Science: The 4th grade units include: Landforms, Variables, Motion, and Ideas/Inventions. Two units will be taught each year. Social Studies: The 4th grade units include: globes, and mapping, the Western States and Oregon. Students will participate in an extensive simulation of the Oregon Trail when studying Oregon history. Research skills are an emphasis at this grade level and we will be doing various projects to help us develop and practice these skills. Music, P.E., Library, Art, Health classes are also offered weekly as part of our general curriculum. Students will need to be prepared for P.E. by wearing tennis shoes and comfortable clothing. Fourth Grade Procedures and Expectations Homework: Students are expected to complete homework on time except in the case of unusual circumstances or illness. Please send a brief note explaining situation if student is unable to complete the assignment. Your help at home is critical! We would appreciate your help checking your child’s work and assignment sheet every night and keeping their notebooks organized. Homework will be regularly assigned on Mondays and Wednesdays (Language Arts), Tuesdays and Thursdays (Math) and any other work that is not completed during class time. Students are encouraged to read each evening. Our goal is for students to have 30-40 minutes (or less) a night of homework. Except in the case of research projects, homework is intended to be practice skills taught in class. Please feel free to call, or email us with any homework questions or concerns. Please also check out the Ridgeview Website and teacher blogs for more info each week. An assignment will be counted late if it is not completed and turned in by the assigned due date. Late work will be recorded on Weekly Reports. Weekly Reports: Weekly Reports go home on Fridays and give information on students’ behavior and assignments. These need to be signed and returned on the following Monday. Discipline: We expect students to be responsible for their behavior so they may be able to learn in a positive and safe environment. Classroom rules will be posted and clearly taught. We expect students to follow and take them seriously. In 4th grade we use a behavior card chart that tracks a student’s day. All student are given a verbal warning first. Parents are informed of problems via the Weekly Report. Any serious behavior issues will involve phone calls home and possibly parent contact using the Ridgeview Student Behavior Management Program (sent home by principal.) Ridgeview School-wide Expectations in all Settings Be Safe Be Respectful Be Responsible |