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Georgia Standards

Georgia 4th Grade ELA Standards

All 125 Georgia English language arts standards for 4th grade, each explained in plain English. The official wording is in Georgia Department of Education's document, linked at the end of this page.

125 standards

Phonics

3 standards
Decoding & Encoding with Phonics
4.F.P.4.a
Read and spell words where one letter pattern can stand for several sounds, like the ough in tough, though and through.
4.F.P.4.b
Sound out and spell one-syllable and longer words of every syllable type, like closed, open, vowel team and r-controlled syllables.
4.F.P.4.c
Read and spell words built with common prefixes and suffixes, like unhappy, preview, careful and quickly.

Fluency

4 standards
Oral & Silent Reading Fluency
4.F.F.1.a
Build a bank of words known on sight, regular and irregular, reading them quickly and correctly alone or within sentences.
4.F.F.1.b
Read new fourth-grade texts more and more smoothly, recognizing words without stopping to sound them out.
4.F.F.1.c
Read many kinds of fourth-grade texts aloud with natural phrasing, pauses and expression that help the meaning come through.
4.F.F.1.d
Notice and fix mistakes while reading silently or aloud, going back to reread when something does not make sense.

Handwriting

3 standards
Read Cursive
4.F.H.3.a
Read short passages written in cursive, like a note or a short letter.
Write Cursive
4.F.H.4.a
Write cursive letters and words neatly, joining the letters within each word.
4.F.H.4.b
Leave even space between cursive words in a sentence, including when it continues onto the next line.

Engagement & Intention for Comprehension & Composition

26 standards
Reader & Writer Identity
4.P.EICC.1.a
Set personal and school goals for reading and writing, talk about them, track progress and adjust them as needed, like reading more mysteries.
4.P.EICC.1.b
Talk or write about the books and kinds of writing most enjoyed, naming favorite topics, genres and techniques.
4.P.EICC.1.c
Pick texts to read and topics to write about that match personal interests and connect to fourth-grade topics.
4.P.EICC.1.d
Collect a toolkit of reading and writing strategies and pick the right one when needed, like rereading or making an outline.
4.P.EICC.1.e
Take part in a class reading and writing community by setting group rules, discussing books, sharing writing and trading feedback.
4.P.EICC.1.f
Grow into an independent reader and writer who can choose, start and finish work without constant help.
Engagement & Intention
4.P.EICC.2.a
Read and write stories to share real or made-up experiences, like a personal narrative about a family trip.
4.P.EICC.2.b
Use texts to learn new things, build skills, make good choices and pass along information, like reading reviews before picking a book.
4.P.EICC.2.c
Learn and explain how things work by reading and writing texts, like a how-to guide for planting seeds.
4.P.EICC.2.d
Read and write to analyze and judge texts and ideas, like writing a short response about whether a story's ending works.
4.P.EICC.2.e
Read and create texts that solve a problem or sway a decision, like a letter asking the principal for a longer recess.
Comprehension Strategies
4.P.EICC.3.a
Decide why to read a text and what to get from it, check understanding along the way and change approach when lost.
4.P.EICC.3.b
Skim and scan a text before reading closely, noting the headings and sections likely to help, like a chapter's subheadings.
4.P.EICC.3.c
Connect what is already known to what a text says, notice where they disagree or leave gaps and update that knowledge.
4.P.EICC.3.d
Picture and briefly retell parts of a text while reading to keep track of what is happening.
4.P.EICC.3.e
Predict what will happen or what information will come next, then check those guesses while reading.
4.P.EICC.3.f
Make inferences about meanings that are not stated outright, follow them while reading and back them with clues from the text.
4.P.EICC.3.g
Work out unfamiliar words and ideas using context clues, known academic words and word parts like prefixes and roots.
Writing Processes
4.P.EICC.4.a
Decide why a piece is being written, what it should accomplish and who will read it, like a thank-you note for a guest speaker.
4.P.EICC.4.b
Plan a piece of writing by choosing the form, genre and structure that best fit its purpose and readers.
4.P.EICC.4.c
Come up with ideas to write about by thinking about what is already known, reading sources and talking with others.
4.P.EICC.4.d
Fit ideas and facts into the writing plan, giving the most important and useful ones a prominent place.
4.P.EICC.4.e
Write a first draft that pulls ideas together, with words, sentences and techniques chosen to suit the purpose and readers.
4.P.EICC.4.f
Judge how well a draft works through self-review or feedback, checking whether it does what it set out to do.
4.P.EICC.4.g
Revise a draft based on self-review or feedback, improving its order, ideas, details, word choice and techniques.
4.P.EICC.4.h
Edit writing for correct spelling, grammar, capitalization and punctuation.

Situating Texts

6 standards
Context
4.P.ST.1.a
Use what is already known, some research and discussion to figure out which background facts matter most for a text, like when and where it was written.
4.P.ST.1.b
Think about how a text's setting and circumstances shape why the author wrote it and why readers read it.
4.P.ST.1.c
Explore how background and circumstances influence the choices an author makes and how readers react, in reading and in writing.
Author, Audience, & Purpose
4.P.ST.2.a
Use what is known about the author, readers and context to figure out or set a text's purpose and judge how well it succeeds.
4.P.ST.2.b
Recognize a clear point of view in what is read and build one in what is written, using knowledge of author, audience and context.
4.P.ST.2.c
Think like an author about the audience to decide what to highlight, how to lay out a text, which words to use and which techniques to try.

Author’s Craft

12 standards
Reading like a Writer
4.P.AC.1.a
Identify and analyze the elements of stories, informational texts and opinion pieces, like plot or reasons, and explain how they serve readers and purpose.
4.P.AC.1.b
Identify and analyze strong or interesting word choices and explain how they affect readers and help the text's purpose.
4.P.AC.1.c
Explain how the way an author builds sentences, like short punchy ones, affects readers and supports the text's goal.
4.P.AC.1.d
Describe and analyze how a text's layout and organization, like headings or a timeline, guide readers, make it easier to use and support its purpose.
Writing like a Reader
4.P.AC.2.a
Combine story, informational and opinion elements in writing to appeal to readers and reach a goal, like adding a short anecdote to a report.
4.P.AC.2.b
Choose words and phrases on purpose to shape how readers think, feel and respond, like vivid verbs in an adventure story.
4.P.AC.2.c
Decide how to build sentences, like mixing short and long ones, to suit readers and achieve a purpose.
4.P.AC.2.d
Organize writing with formats and features like headings, lists and patterns so readers can follow it and the purpose comes through.
Text Design
4.P.AC.3.a
Explore and create texts in different forms and genres, learning how their features affect meaning, tone, style and readers.
4.P.AC.3.b
Use knowledge of form and genre to decide what content belongs in a text, like facts in a report but feelings in a diary.
4.P.AC.3.c
Use knowledge of form and genre to decide how ideas are ordered and laid out, like steps in a recipe or stanzas in a poem.
4.P.AC.3.d
Read, view and create texts that mix words, images and sound, combining genres and features to reach readers, like an illustrated poster.

Collaboration & Presentation

9 standards
Collaboration
4.P.CP.1.a
Come to group discussions and meetings ready to take part, like having read the assigned chapter.
4.P.CP.1.b
Work with a group to agree on rules, goals and steps for a shared project and help keep everyone on task.
4.P.CP.1.c
Add to group talks and projects by sharing ideas, listening to others and giving helpful feedback.
4.P.CP.1.d
Team up with others to talk through topics, look into questions, solve problems and read or create texts together.
Presentation
4.P.CP.2.a
Present ideas, information and texts clearly so listeners can follow, like a short book talk.
4.P.CP.2.b
Choose and combine the forms that best suit a presentation's purpose and audience, like adding pictures or a short video.
4.P.CP.2.c
Adjust tone of voice, speed and gestures to fit the audience and purpose of a presentation.
4.P.CP.2.d
Talk with an audience during or after a presentation by asking them questions and answering theirs.
4.P.CP.2.e
Recite important poems and speeches suited to fourth grade, whole or in part, like a stanza of a famous poem, to build background knowledge.

Grammar Conventions

23 standards
Grammar, Usage, & Mechanics
4.L.GC.1.27
Use prepositional phrases confidently and correctly, like under the bridge or after lunch.
4.L.GC.1.28
Use the comparing forms of adjectives and adverbs correctly, like taller and tallest or more quickly and most quickly.
4.L.GC.1.29
Make sure each pronoun matches the noun it stands for in number and gender, like The girls lost their hats.
4.L.GC.1.30
Write a speaker's exact words correctly, with a capital letter to start, quotation marks around them and commas to set them off.
4.L.GC.1.31
Use relative pronouns like who, whose and which and relative adverbs like where and when to add details to sentences.
4.L.GC.1.32
Use interjections correctly to show sudden feeling, like Wow! or Oops, I dropped it.
4.L.GC.1.33
Use helping verbs like can, will and must and linking verbs like is and seems correctly in sentences.
4.L.GC.1.34
Choose correctly between words that are easy to mix up, like to, too and two or their, there and they're.
4.L.GC.1.35
Capitalize abbreviations, adjectives made from proper nouns and formal titles, like Dr., American and President Lincoln.
4.L.GC.1.36
Use commas when speaking to someone by name and after yes or no, like Yes, Sam, you may go.
4.L.GC.1.37
Place apostrophes correctly to show that more than one owner has something, like the dogs' bowls or the children's toys.
4.L.GC.1.38
Keep practicing indefinite pronouns like everyone, few and nobody, matching them with the right verb, like Everyone is here.
4.L.GC.1.39
Keep practicing joining clauses with words like because, although and when, like We stayed in because it rained.
4.L.GC.1.40
Keep practicing placing a comma after an opening phrase or clause, like After school, we played tag.
4.L.GC.1.41
Keep practicing marking titles of works with capitals plus italics, underlining or quotation marks, like a book or song title.
4.L.GC.1.42
Begin using intensive pronouns for emphasis, like I myself saw it or The king himself came.
4.L.GC.1.43
Begin forming and using progressive and perfect verb forms, like was running, has eaten and had been waiting.
4.L.GC.1.44
Begin forming and using participles, verb forms that work as adjectives, like the broken window or a smiling child.
4.L.GC.1.45
Begin spotting and fixing pronouns that are unclear about whom they mean, like a he that could mean either of two boys.
Syntax
4.L.GC.2.a
Use knowledge of how sentences are built to understand many kinds of fourth-grade texts, like long sentences with several clauses.
4.L.GC.2.b
Write simple, compound and complex sentences that make ideas clear and connected, keeping verb tense steady within and across paragraphs.
4.L.GC.2.c
Make subjects and verbs agree in all kinds of sentences so the meaning is clear, like The box of crayons is full.
4.L.GC.2.d
Add adjectives and adverbs to develop ideas with exact details and descriptions that hold the reader's interest.

Vocabulary

10 standards
General, Academic, & Specialized Vocabulary
4.L.V.1.a
Learn many everyday, academic and subject-specific words and phrases from fourth-grade reading and lessons, like habitat or estimate.
4.L.V.1.b
Use fourth-grade everyday, academic and subject words to communicate more clearly in class, at home and in writing.
Word Analysis
4.L.V.2.a
Break words into Greek and Latin roots, base words, prefixes and suffixes to figure out what they mean, like tele and phone.
4.L.V.2.b
Explain how adding a different prefix or suffix changes a word's meaning and part of speech, like beautiful versus beautifully.
4.L.V.2.c
Build new words by combining Greek and Latin roots, base words and affixes, like joining re, use and able to make reusable.
Meaning & Purpose
4.L.V.3.a
Use clues in the text, like a definition, example or restatement, to work out unknown words and words with several meanings.
4.L.V.3.b
Show understanding of words by linking them to synonyms, antonyms, homophones and homographs, like happy and glad or bat the animal and bat for baseball.
4.L.V.3.c
Tell apart adverbs with close meanings, like slowly, gradually and lazily.
4.L.V.3.d
Use print and online dictionaries, glossaries and thesauruses to check spellings and pin down exact word meanings.
4.L.V.3.e
Draw on known words and how they relate to choose exact words when speaking and writing, like enormous instead of big.

Context

5 standards
Purpose & Audience
4.T.C.1.a
Identify who a text is for and trace how its purpose develops from beginning to end.
4.T.C.1.b
Sort texts by mode, like print, audio or video, and describe how that choice affects the audience and the text's purpose.
4.T.C.1.c
Create texts that combine modes chosen ahead of time, like words and pictures, for a set purpose and audience.
Authors & Speakers
4.T.C.2.a
Compare and contrast how different narrators or speakers in a text see events, like two characters telling the same story.
4.T.C.2.c
Identify the circumstances a text was written in, like its time period, the writer's life or the situation behind it.

Structure & Style

6 standards
Organization
4.T.SS.1.a
Compare and contrast the features and structures of different genres on one topic, like a website's links versus a poem's rhymes.
4.T.SS.1.b
Design texts with structures and features chosen to fit the purpose and readers, like headings and captions in a report.
4.T.SS.1.c
Use joining and transition words, like also, however and on the other hand, to show how ideas connect.
4.T.SS.1.d
Group related sentences into tight, connected paragraphs that follow a chosen structure, linked with transitions.
Craft
4.T.SS.2.a
Identify and explain how figurative language, like exaggeration and giving objects human traits, affects how a text is understood.
4.T.SS.2.b
Use figurative language on purpose when sharing ideas or information, like a simile to describe a storm.

Techniques

13 standards
Narrative Techniques
4.T.T.1.a
Analyze how authors use story techniques to share ideas and reveal characters, setting and plot.
4.T.T.1.b
Describe how a story's hero and villain move the plot, drive the conflict and affect other characters.
4.T.T.1.c
Identify and describe common themes, like good versus evil, shown through what characters do and say.
4.T.T.1.d
Compare and contrast how stories, myths and folktales from different cultures handle similar themes and patterns like the hero's quest.
4.T.T.1.e
Write true or made-up stories with characters, setting, a problem, a solution and dialogue, using details, events in order and an ending.
Expository Techniques
4.T.T.2.a
Discuss and judge how informational texts are written and designed, including the facts and details that back up the main idea.
4.T.T.2.b
Explain what happened and why in a history, science or technical text, using specific information from the text.
4.T.T.2.c
Combine and sort information from several texts on one topic by the main points and key details.
4.T.T.2.d
Write to inform with a clear introduction, grouped paragraphs, facts, definitions or quotes, precise words and a conclusion.
Opinion Techniques
4.T.T.3.a
Discuss and judge how opinion and argument texts are built, including the author's position, reasons and evidence.
4.T.T.3.c
Write opinion pieces that introduce a topic, state an opinion, give reasons and evidence joined by linking words and end with a conclusion.
Poetic Techniques
4.T.T.4.a
Discuss and explain how free verse, rhymed verse, haiku and limericks are written and laid out.
4.T.T.4.b
Write poems that follow a set rhyme scheme, like AABB, to create a planned effect and engage readers.

Research & Analysis

5 standards
Research & Inquiry
4.T.RA.1.a
Come up with open-ended questions about a chosen topic to research, to dig deeper into it and related ideas.
4.T.RA.1.b
Research a chosen topic by finding, collecting and combining information from several reliable print, digital and personal sources, like an interview.
4.T.RA.1.c
Use accurate, relevant evidence from at least two reliable sources in research writing.
Curating Sources & Evidence
4.T.RA.2.a
Point to specific passages or quotes from a text to back up an idea, answer or opinion.
4.T.RA.2.b
Judge whether a source is trustworthy and useful based on what is known about its author or publisher.

The official Georgia documents

The plain-English lines on this page are EMStudio's own explanations of Georgia's standards, not the official wording, which Georgia Department of Education publishes in the documents above. Codes and strand names identify each standard.