Grade 4 · English

Grade 4 English

Grade 4 readers move into longer novels, and the questions go deeper: what is this character like, and how do you know? Here is what the year covers, where kids usually get stuck, and one way to help.

What your child learns this year

Every curriculum words it differently, but most grade 4 classes cover the same ground:

  • Characters and plot. What characters are like, why they act as they do, and how a story builds to a climax.
  • Theme. The bigger idea or lesson a story leaves you with.
  • Non-fiction. How articles are organized (cause and effect, compare, problem and solution) and using text features.
  • Writing. Paragraphs with a topic sentence, and longer stories, opinions and reports.
  • Grammar. Complete sentences, commas, punctuation for dialogue, and more precise word choice.

Where kids usually get stuck

  1. 1Naming a trait from one small clue. One kind act doesn't make a character generous. Look for clues that point the same way.
  2. 2Mixing up a feeling and a trait. Angry for a moment is a feeling. Always quick to anger is a trait.
  3. 3Writing half a sentence. “Because it was raining.” on its own leaves the reader waiting for what happened.

One of Pip's tricks

STEAL the character clues

Use it when working out what a character is like, or why they act as they do, in a longer story or novel.

  1. S is Speech: what the character says and how. T is Thoughts and feelings.
  2. E is Effect on others: how other characters react to them.
  3. A is Actions: what they do. L is Looks: how they are described.
  4. See which clues point the same way, name the trait, and quote the best clue as proof.

Watch it work. “I don't need anybody's help,” Theo snapped, and he grabbed the broken model back from his sister. After that, the other kids stopped offering to help him. Speech: he snaps that he needs no help. Actions: he grabs the model back. Effect on others: the kids stop offering. All three point the same way: Theo is stubborn.

Why it works: authors rarely state a trait outright. They show it through what a character says, thinks, does and looks like, and how others react, so checking each one gathers enough proof to name it.

Try three

Tap a choice to see if it is right, with the reason.

  1. 1.“Leo slammed the door and stomped upstairs.” Which kind of clue is this?

  2. 2.“Everyone in class waits for Priya's answer before they speak.” Which kind of clue is this?

  3. 3.“You can have mine,” said Tom, handing over his umbrella. What does this show about Tom?

How Sparkpip fits in

Pip, Sparkpip's tutor, works through stories and questions like these with your child one small step at a time, using tricks like the one above.

Start freeSee how it works

Your curriculum

Sparkpip is built on the grade 4 English curriculum for your province or state. The official pages:

Also: Grade 3 English · Grade 5 English · Grade 4 math · Grade 4 science