What Ontario grade 4 students learn in language arts

Your child will understand how skills they learn in one area, like talking or reading, can be used in many different situations, even when communicating with people from different backgrounds or in specific subjects. They will also be able to use these skills when they read, listen to, watch, or create different kinds of stories and information.

Your child will understand how skills they learn in one area, like problem-solving, can be used in other areas to help them share their ideas, participate in school, and plan for their future learning and growth.

Your child will learn about their rights and responsibilities when they are online, and how to make good choices that help themselves and others in their online community.

Your child will understand how to use the internet safely, protect their personal information, and interact with others online in a way that is respectful and responsible, including asking for permission when needed.

Your child will learn how to find information from different sources, decide if it's trustworthy and correct, and understand different viewpoints. This will help them build their knowledge, create their own writing, and show what they've learned.

Your child will understand how different types of digital and media texts are put together, including their common features and techniques. They will also learn how these texts affect the people who see or hear them, and use this knowledge when they look at or create their own.

Your child will be able to understand how the way a text is written (its form), what it says (its message), and the situation it's in (its context) all connect with who it's for (the audience) and why it was created.

Your child will be able to pick and use the right computer tools and media (like videos or pictures) to help them solve real-world problems in new and creative ways.

Your child will learn how to communicate and work with others online safely and respectfully, understanding how to use different digital tools and be aware of other cultures.

Your child will understand how the reading, writing, and communication skills they are learning in Grade 4 will help them in other subjects and in their daily life. They will also see how these skills improve their ability to understand things and express themselves clearly.

Your child will understand how different people and groups, including those in Canada, have lived and contributed throughout history. They will learn about this by reading stories and texts that reflect various cultures and help them think about who they are and where they belong.

Your child will be able to discuss the main ideas found in stories and traditions from First Nations, Métis, and Inuit cultures. This helps them understand the many different ways these groups see the world, build relationships, and pass on their knowledge.

Your child will be able to listen carefully and ask good questions to get more information from someone speaking. They will also learn how to respond thoughtfully to what others say in group conversations, whether it's a formal discussion or just chatting with friends.

Your child will learn to use different ways of listening, both to spoken words and body language, to understand what people are communicating. They will also practice showing interest, asking questions when they don't understand, and figuring out how to reply appropriately.

Your child will learn to understand why they are speaking and who they are speaking to in different situations, both formal and informal. They will also learn how to use strategies like paraphrasing (putting something in their own words) and restating (saying something again in a different way) to make sure their message is clear.

Your child will be able to use different ways of communicating without words, like facial expressions, gestures, and body language, and understand how these help them and others share ideas and meaning.

Your child will be able to choose the right words, including new vocabulary, and use different kinds of descriptive words (adjectives and adverbs) to make their writing more detailed. They will also learn to use various sentence types and make sure their sentences flow together smoothly, all to help their audience understand what they are trying to say.

Your child will be able to use their knowledge of word parts, like prefixes (beginnings of words), suffixes (endings of words), and bases (main parts of words), to help them read and spell new words.

Your child will understand and use new words they learn, including words from other school subjects. They will also learn to break down words into their parts (like prefixes or suffixes) to figure out what new words mean.

Your child will be able to read different kinds of texts smoothly and correctly, at a good speed to help them understand what they're reading. When reading aloud, they will also be able to change their voice and expression to match the reason for reading.

Your child will learn to recognize and build different kinds of sentences, including simple sentences and compound sentences (which are two simple sentences joined together). They will also learn how to use prepositional phrases (groups of words that tell you more about a noun or verb, like "in the box") and clauses (groups of words with a subject and a verb) to make their sentences more interesting.

Your child will understand how different kinds of words, like pronouns (words that replace nouns, such as "he" or "she") and verbs (action words), work together in sentences. This will help them understand what they read and write more clearly.

Your child will be able to use capitalization and punctuation correctly to make their writing clear and easy to understand. This includes knowing when to use capital letters for specific adjectives (like "Canadian"), commas when directly speaking to someone (like "Mom, can I go play?"), and quotation marks for titles of short works (like a song or poem).

Your child will be able to understand different kinds of stories and articles by using their knowledge of words, grammar, how sentences are put together, and what they already know about the world.

Your child will be able to describe different types of writing (like stories, poems, or articles, including those from different cultures) and explain how their unique features help get the message across.

Your child will learn to recognize how different ways of organizing information, like how pictures are arranged, and special features, like different fonts or clickable links, help us understand what we are reading or seeing, even in texts from other cultures.

Your child will understand how pictures, drawings, and the way things are arranged on a page help to create meaning in different stories and texts.

Your child will learn to recognize different writing styles, such as the author's unique "voice," the words they choose, how they repeat words, and how they build sentences. They will also understand how these choices help create the story's meaning and fit the type of writing.

Your child will be able to figure out who is telling a story (the narrator) and from what perspective (point of view), whether it's "I" (first person), "you" (second person), or "he/she/they" (third person). They will also understand why a particular point of view was chosen for different stories, and what makes it good or bad for that story.

Your child will explore different kinds of stories, including written, spoken, and visual ones, created by First Nations, Métis, and Inuit people. This will help your child understand their past, cultures, and daily lives.

Your child will be able to use what they already know from their own life and from other books or stories to help them understand new things they read.

Your child will understand why people read different kinds of books and stories, and be able to choose books from different authors that fit what they want to get out of reading.

Your child will be able to make smart guesses about what will happen next in a story by using what they already know, looking at things like headings or pictures, and finding clues in the text. They will also learn to ask themselves questions to see if their guesses were right.

Your child will learn to use different strategies to help them understand what they are reading, such as changing how fast they read, picturing things in their mind, looking ahead in the text, asking questions, and using other books or sources to find information.

Your child will be able to explain how the ideas in what they read relate to their own life, other books they've read, and the world around them.

Your child will be able to find the main point of a story or article and remember the important details in the right order. They will also be able to form a simple opinion or idea based on what they've read.

Your child will be able to explain how different reading strategies, like creating mental pictures, guessing what might happen next, summarizing, or making connections to their own life, help them understand what they read.

Your child will be able to describe literary devices, which are tools authors use to make their writing more interesting. They will learn about personification (giving human qualities to objects or animals) and anthropomorphism (making animals or objects act and think like humans), and understand how these devices help tell a story and fit the author's goals and audience.

Your child will be able to understand stories better by using clues from the text and their own knowledge to figure out things that aren't directly stated, both about what's happening in the story and in the wider world.

Your child will be able to understand different kinds of stories and articles by finding the main points, putting events in order, and explaining how one thing makes another thing happen.

Your child will be able to recognize and understand different cultural elements, like traditions, beliefs, objects, sports, and music, in stories and other texts, and connect them to their own life and culture.

Your child will be able to find perspectives, both directly stated and hinted at, in different texts. They will also understand how these perspectives are shown, identify any biases (unfair preferences or opinions) in the text, and think about how these biases might affect the reader.

Your child will be able to explain how different topics like diversity (people from different backgrounds), inclusion (making sure everyone feels welcome), and accessibility (making things usable for everyone) are shown in stories and other texts, and understand the main ideas or lessons those texts are trying to teach.

Your child will learn how stories and other writings by First Nations, Métis, and Inuit people are shaped by their past and culture. They will also understand how these works connect to their lives today.

Your child will be able to explain the thinking skills they used to understand and think critically about different stories and articles, and how these skills helped them better understand what they read.

Your child will be able to plan their writing by thinking about the topic, why they are writing it, and who will read it. They will also understand how to choose the best way to write their message, like a story, a letter, or a report, so it makes sense to their audience.

Your child will be able to come up with and expand on ideas for their writing, including topics about fairness, different cultures, and including everyone. They will use different ways to brainstorm and get ideas from various places, including their own experiences.

Your child will be able to find information about a topic using different resources, like books or websites, and keep track of where they found the information.

Your child will be able to choose and organize their ideas and information, deciding what comes first, next, and last, based on the type of writing they are doing (like a story, a report, or a poem).

Your child will be able to talk about the strategies and tools they used to help them come up with ideas and organize their writing. They will also be able to explain how these strategies helped them become a better writer.

Your child will be able to write different kinds of stories, reports, and convincing arguments using various tools and methods.

Your child will be able to write neatly in cursive, making sure their letters are the right shape, size, and slant so their writing is easy to read. They will also start learning to type without looking at the keyboard.

Your child will be able to write in their own unique way, using different words and writing styles to share their thoughts and feelings about a topic, and choosing a tone (like serious, funny, or informative) that fits the type of writing they are doing.

Your child will be able to understand whose perspective a story is told from (point of view) and how that perspective might show certain opinions or biases.

Your child will be able to make changes to their writing, like choosing better words or adding/removing sentences, to make their ideas clearer and flow better, and will ask others for their thoughts on the writing.

Your child will be able to make their writing better by checking for mistakes in spelling, punctuation, and grammar, and by making sure it looks neat. They will also learn to use a computer to help them edit their work.

Your child will be able to create finished writing pieces using different methods and tools, including basic computer programs, to make their writing have the impact they want.

Your child will be able to share their writing with others, using different tools like computers or art supplies, and explain how their choices helped them get their message across.

Your child will be able to talk about the different ways they shared their writing and how those methods helped them become a better writer.