Each week we will read a different story from the reading book or a novel.

The required reading texts for 4th grade are:

Narrative Selections:

Dear Mr. Henshaw, Cleary    

Because of Winn Dixie , DiCamillo   

Train to Somewhere, Bunting  

Expository (non-fiction):

Secret Knowledge of Grownups, Wisniewski 

Space Probes to the Planets, Robinson

Lou Gherig: The Luckiest Man, Adler

The students will be required to read for 20 minutes each night , except Friday, and keep a reading log.  They may pick what they would like to read and it may be read independently or to someone at home.  Reading each night will improve their vocabulary and fluency.  If they do read aloud to you, after they read you might want to ask them questions about the story. Such as, "What was your favorite event in the story?"  or "Was there a character in the story similar to you?".  It's important to engage the students in their reading and have them make connections from their lives to the stories.

The reading skills covered in third grade are the same as fourth grade. However, the difficulty level does increase. The main objectives covered throughout the year are sequencing, story elements, author's purpose, main idea/details,  fact/opinion, cause/effect, making inferences, and vocabulary.  It's important that your child begins to read critically and analyze what he/she read. Non-fiction texts are a problem area for many students. This is sometimes reflected in the science and social studies grades.