Fourth Grade
Subjects of Study
English
Text: Voyages in English (Loyola Press) and Structure and Style (The Institute for Excellence in Writing)
Our focus in English class is on grammar, speaking and listening skills, and writing. The writing program we use teaches the students both structure and style, focusing on how to create outlines and how to make their writing more descriptive and polished. Your children will be provided with many opportunities to use these skills in a challenging and creative way through the writing program, their English textbooks, as well as through our “classroom restaurant.”
Reading
Text: Open Court Reading (SRA/McGraw-Hill)
Our reading curriculum will be a combination of the textbook and 5 selected novels. As with the textbook stories, we use these novels to predict, summarize, identify main ideas, draw conclusions, make personal connections, make inferences, etc. Book reports are assigned at random so as not to conflict with other major class assignments. On most Fridays, your child will be participating in literature circles. These are student-run discussion groups that allow the children to talk about their reactions to, and impressions of, the important parts of the story they are reading.
Spelling and Phonics
Text: Voyages in English (Spelling Workout) Each unit consists of 20 words. Weekly homework consists in the students being provided with a list of various spelling activities. Each week they must choose a different activity to complete using the related list of words. Homework is due every Thursday. The weekly schedule is:
Monday- Blind test, introduce and practice spelling rule
Wednesday- Pretest, review rule
Thursday- Homework is due; study for test
Friday- Test
Students who receive 100% on a blind test or a pretest are given a bonus list of words (“Million Dollar Words”) to study for the remainder of the week. These will allow the students to receive extra credit points on their final test.
Math
Text: Progress in Mathematics (Sadlier-Oxford) Math is a very important part of our day and continually follows the same schedule. We begin each class with a facts test, followed by mental math and correcting the previous night’s homework. We then proceed with the new lesson of the day and begin the problem set. The problem set is then completed for homework.
Science
Text: Science Discovery Works (Houghton Mifflin)
Students will be given a list of objectives at the beginning of a unit or chapter as well as notes throughout the lesson that should be used when studying for tests. Students will keep all work in an organized binder to assist them with semester exams. Topics covered include: Scientific Inquiry and Reasoning, Scientific Method, Experiments, Science Fair, Body Systems, Cells and Heredity, Animal Classification, Rainforests, Weather, Oceanography, Earth Structure, Space Travel, and Chemistry
Extended Care
Before School Care is available from 7:30am and After School Care is available until 6:00pm. Detailed information and arrangements for enrollment can be obtained in the office.
Lunch
Students may bring their own lunch, or take advantage of Impromptu Catering, our daily hot lunch provider.
Developmental Objectives
Fourth and fifth grade are both transitional years where the students begin preparing to move to the middle school where there is more independence and responsibility. They should require little assistance at home. Study skills are also a focus in these years.
Homework
Homework will be assigned on a nightly basis with the exception of Fridays. Homework should take about 45-60 minutes. We ask that you sign your child’s assignment book each night. This assures that your child is completing the necessary homework each night. Specific homework and study skills will be taught in class, but should be reinforced at home.
Birthdays
When celebrating birthdays at school, students are invited to bring a treat to share with their classmates at snack time. If party invitations are being given out, please make sure they are going to each child. Otherwise, please mail them from home.
Communication
Weekly newsletters are sent home every Friday. Please look at the calendar for the following week detailing important events or tests/projects due. Monday Folders: All of the children's work from the previous week is sent home in these folders.