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Tennessee Standards

Tennessee 4th Grade ELA Standards

All 42 Tennessee English language arts standards for 4th grade, each explained in plain English. The official wording is one click away under each one.

42 standards

Foundational Literacy: Phonics and Word Recognition

1 standard
Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills when decoding isolated words and in connected text.
4.FL.PWR.3
Read unfamiliar long words accurately, in a sentence or alone, by combining letter sounds, syllable patterns, and roots and affixes, like unbelievable.
Official wording
Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills when decoding isolated words and in connected text.aUse combined knowledge of all letter-sound correspondences, syllabication patterns, and morphology (roots and affixes) to accurately read unfamiliar multisyllabic words in context and out of context.

Foundational Literacy: Word Composition

1 standard
Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills when encoding words; write legibly.
4.FL.WC.4
Spell fourth grade words correctly, checking a dictionary or other reference when unsure, and write neatly in both print and cursive.
Official wording
Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills when encoding words; write legibly.aSpell grade-appropriate words correctly, consulting references as needed.bWrite legibly in manuscript and cursive.

Foundational Literacy: Fluency

1 standard
Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
4.FL.F.5
Read 1st-grade books aloud smoothly and accurately with expression, understand them, and reread when a word or sentence does not make sense.
Official wording
Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.aRead grade-level text with purpose and understanding.bRead grade-level prose and poetry orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings.cUse context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding of words; reread as necessary.
Common Core RF.1.4

Foundational Literacy: Sentence Composition

1 standard
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when speaking and conventions of standard English grammar and usage, including capitalization and punctuation, when writing.
4.FL.SC.6
Use words like who and where to link ideas, verbs like was running, helpers like might, and prepositional phrases, fix fragments and run-ons, punctuate quotes, and write linked paragraphs.
Official wording
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when speaking and conventions of standard English grammar and usage, including capitalization and punctuation, when writing.aUse relative pronouns and relative adverbs.bForm and use progressive verb tenses.cUse auxiliary verbs, such as can, may, and must, to clarify meaning.dForm and use prepositional phrases.eProduce complete sentences; recognize and correct inappropriate fragments and run-ons.fUse correct capitalization.gUse commas and quotation marks to mark direct speech and quotations from a text.hUse a comma before a coordinating conjunction in a compound sentence.iWrite several cohesive paragraphs on a topic.

Foundational Literacy: Vocabulary Acquisition

3 standards
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases by using context clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, and consulting general and specialized reference materials, as appropriate.
4.FL.VA.7a
Work out an unknown word on a grade 4 topic from context clues, from Greek and Latin roots like graph in telegraph, or by checking a dictionary or thesaurus.
Official wording
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 4 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.iUse context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.iiUse common, grade-appropriate Greek and Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word.iiiConsult reference materials, both print and digital, to find the pronunciation and determine or clarify the precise meaning of key words and phrases.
Common Core L.4.4
4.FL.VA.7b
Explain a nonliteral phrase like take steps, name someone who is friendly to link a word to real life, and rank knew, believed and suspected by how sure they are.
Official wording
Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.iExplain the meaning of simple similes and metaphors in context.iiRecognize and explain the meaning of common idioms and proverbs.iiiDemonstrate understanding of words by relating them to their opposites and to words with similar but not identical meanings
Common Core L.3.5
4.FL.VA.7c
Learn and correctly use school and subject words, including exact words for actions, feelings, and states, like whispered or furious, and key terms for a topic.
Official wording
Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal precise actions, emotions, or states of being and that are basic to a particular topic.

Reading: Key Ideas and Details

6 standards
Read closely to determine what a text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
4.RL.KID.1
Point to details and examples in a story both when explaining what it states outright and when reading between the lines.
Official wording
Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly; refer to details and examples in a text when drawing inferences from the text.
4.RI.KID.1
Use details and examples from a nonfiction text to explain what it says directly and to back up conclusions drawn from it.
Official wording
Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly; refer to details and examples in the text when drawing inferences from the text.
Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.
4.RL.KID.2
Find a theme in a story, play, or poem, explain which details reveal it, and write a short summary of the text.
Official wording
Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem and explain how it is conveyed through details in the text; summarize the text.
4.RI.KID.2
Find the main idea of a nonfiction text, explain which key details back it up, and sum up the text briefly.
Official wording
Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize a text.
Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.
4.RL.KID.3
Give a detailed picture of one character, place, or event from a story or play, backed by specifics like a character's thoughts, words, and deeds.
Official wording
Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in a text, such as a character’s thoughts, words, or actions.
4.RI.KID.3
Explain what happened and why in a history, science, or technical text, using specific facts from it, like the causes of a volcano erupting.
Official wording
Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in a text.

Reading: Craft and Structure

6 standards
Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.
4.RL.CS.4
Figure out what words and phrases mean in a text, including ones that refer to famous characters or events, like calling someone a Hercules.
Official wording
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including those that refer to significant characters and situations found in literature and history.
4.RI.CS.4
Figure out what words and phrases mean in a fourth grade subject text, including figurative, emotional, and technical meanings.
Official wording
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings.
Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of a text (e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole.
4.RL.CS.5
Explain how poems, plays, and stories differ and use terms like verse, stage directions, and cast of characters when discussing them.
Official wording
Explain major differences between poems, drama, and stories, and refer to the structural elements when writing or speaking about a text.
4.RI.CS.5
Describe how a text or part of a text organizes its information, like time order, compare and contrast, cause and effect, or problem and solution.
Official wording
Describe the overall structure of events, ideas, and concepts of information in a text or part of a text.
Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.
4.RL.CS.6
Compare the points of view that different stories are told from, like a first person narrator versus a third person one.
Official wording
Compare and contrast the point of view from which different stories are narrated.
4.RI.CS.6
Compare two accounts of the same event or topic, like a firsthand diary and a textbook, and describe how their focus and facts differ.
Official wording
Compare and contrast two accounts of the same event or topic; describe the differences in focus and the information provided.

Reading: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

5 standards
Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse formats and media, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.
4.RL.IKI.7
Connect the written version of a story or play with a filmed, staged, or audio version of it, noting where they match.
Official wording
Make connections between the print version of a story or drama and a visual or oral presentation of the same text.
4.RI.IKI.7
Make sense of information shown in charts, diagrams, timelines, or spoken parts, and explain how it helps the reader understand the text.
Official wording
Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears.
Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence.
4.RI.IKI.8
Explain how an author backs up each point in an informational text with reasons and evidence, such as a fact or a statistic.
Official wording
Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text.
Common Core RI.4.8
Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches an author takes.
4.RL.IKI.9
Compare how stories from different cultures handle similar themes, topics, and plot patterns, like good versus evil in folktales.
Official wording
Compare and contrast the treatment of similar themes, topics, and patterns of events in stories from different cultures.
4.RI.IKI.9
Put together facts from two texts on the same topic, such as two articles on volcanoes, so you can write or speak about it with real knowledge.
Official wording
Integrate information from two texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.
Common Core RI.4.9

Reading: Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity

2 standards
Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently.
4.RL.RRTC.10
Read and understand stories and poems at the fourth and fifth grade level well, with support on the hardest ones.
Official wording
Read and comprehend stories and poems throughout the grades 4-5 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding at the high end as needed.
4.RI.RRTC.10
Read and understand stories and nonfiction at the fourth and fifth grade level well, with support on the hardest texts.
Official wording
Read and comprehend stories and informational texts throughout the grades 4-5 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding at the high end as needed.

Speaking and Listening: Comprehension and Collaboration

3 standards
Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with varied partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing one’s own ideas clearly and persuasively.
4.SL.CC.1
Come prepared to discuss fourth grade topics and books, build on what classmates say, and state their own ideas clearly.
Official wording
Prepare for collaborative discussions on 4th grade level topics and texts; engage effectively with varied partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing one’s own ideas clearly.
Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media formats, such as visual, quantitative, and oral formats.
4.SL.CC.2
Put parts of a text shared through images, numbers, or speech into their own words, like retelling a news clip or a graph.
Official wording
Paraphrase portions of a text presented in diverse media such as visual, quantitative, and oral formats.
Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric.
4.SL.CC.3
Pick out the reasons and evidence a speaker gives to support each point, such as the facts behind a classmate’s case for a longer recess.
Official wording
Identify the reasons and evidence a speaker provides to support particular points.
Common Core SL.4.3

Speaking and Listening: Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas

3 standards
Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning; the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
4.SL.PKI.4
Report on a topic or book, tell a story or recount an experience in an organized way, with facts and vivid details, speaking clearly at a pace listeners can follow.
Official wording
Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience in an organized manner, using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace.
Common Core SL.4.4
Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express information and enhance understanding of presentations.
4.SL.PKI.5
Add audio, images, or other media to a presentation when it helps develop the main ideas or themes.
Official wording
Add multimedia, such as audio and visual elements, to presentations, when appropriate, to enhance the development of main ideas or themes.
Adapt speech to a variety of contents and communicative tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.
4.SL.PKI.6
Know when a situation needs formal or casual English, like a class presentation versus a chat with friends, and use formal English when it fits.
Official wording
Recognize that different situations call for formal vs. informal English, and use formal English when appropriate.

Writing: Text Types and Protocol

3 standards
Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
4.W.TTP.1
Write an opinion piece that introduces the topic, states the opinion, gives reasons backed by facts, links them with phrases like for instance, and closes.
Official wording
Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.aIntroduce a topic or text.bDevelop an opinion with reasons that are supported by facts and details.cCreate an organizational structure in which related ideas are grouped to support the writer’s purpose.dProvide a concluding statement or section related to the opinion presented.eLink opinion and reasons using words and phrases.fApply language standards addressed in the Foundational Literacy standards.
Common Core W.4.1
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
4.W.TTP.2
Write to explain a topic, grouping facts into paragraphs and sections, adding headings or pictures, using quotes and subject terms, linking ideas, and ending with a related conclusion.
Official wording
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information.aIntroduce a topic.bGroup related information in paragraphs and sections.cInclude formatting, features, illustrations, and multimedia, when needed, to provide clarity to the reader.dDevelop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples related to the topic.eProvide a conclusion related to the information or explanation presented.fLink ideas within categories of information using words and phrases.gUse precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.hApply language standards addressed in the Foundational Literacy standards.
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective techniques, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
4.W.TTP.3
Write a real or imagined story that sets up the situation and characters, follows a logical order with transitions, uses dialogue and sensory detail, and ends naturally.
Official wording
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using an effective technique, such as descriptive details and clear event sequences.aOrient the reader by establishing a situation, using a narrator, and/or introducing characters.bOrganize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically.cUse dialogue and description to develop experiences and events or show the responses of characters to situations.dUse a variety of transitional words and phrases to manage the sequence of events.eProvide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events.fUse precise words and phrases and use sensory details to convey experiences and events.

Writing: Production and Distribution of Writing

3 standards
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
4.W.PDW.4
Match how a piece of writing is developed, organized and styled to its task, its purpose and the people who will read it.
Official wording
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1-3 above.)
Common Core W.6.4
Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.
4.W.PDW.5
With help from classmates and adults, plan, revise, and edit to improve writing, correcting grammar and punctuation learned through fourth grade.
Official wording
With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Foundational Literacy standard 6 up to and including grade 4.)
Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others.
4.W.PDW.6
With some adult help, use technology and the internet to write, publish, and work with others, typing a whole piece in one sitting.
Official wording
With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing, as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of technology skills to type a complete product in a single sitting as defined in W.1-3.

Writing: Research to Build and Present Knowledge

3 standards
Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focus questions, demonstrating new understanding of the subject under investigation.
4.W.RBPK.7
Do a short research project that looks into different sides of a topic, such as a state’s history, land and people, to build knowledge about it.
Official wording
Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.
Common Core W.4.7
Integrate relevant and credible information from multiple print and digital sources while avoiding plagiarism.
4.W.RBPK.8
Pull useful facts from experience or from print and online sources, take notes, sort the information, and list the sources used.
Official wording
Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; take notes, categorize information, and provide a list of sources.
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
4.W.RBPK.9
Use evidence from stories and nonfiction to support analysis, reflection, and research, applying fourth grade reading skills.
Official wording
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research, applying grade 4 standards for reading.

Writing: Range of Writing

1 standard
Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.
4.W.RW.10
Write regularly, over days and in single sittings, for many tasks, purposes, and readers across subjects, like a science report or a quick reflection.
Official wording
Write routinely over extended time frames and shorter time frames for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences; promote writing fluency.

The official Tennessee documents

Tennessee Academic Standards for English Language Arts, Tennessee Department of Education, tn.gov/education.

Common Core State Standards © Copyright 2010. National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers. All rights reserved.

The plain-English lines are EMStudio's own explanations, shown beside the official wording. They are not part of the standards.