Grade 4 

General Outcome 1 (Gr. 4)

Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to explore thoughts, ideas, feelings and experiences.

1.1 Discover and Explore

Express ideas and develop understanding

• compare new ideas, information and experiences to prior knowledge and experiences
• ask questions, paraphrase and discuss to explore ideas and understand new concepts
• share personal responses to explore and develop understanding of oral, print and other media texts

Experiment with language and forms  

• discuss and compare the ways similar topics are developed in different forms of oral, print and other media texts

Express preferences

• select preferred forms from a variety of oral, print and other media texts

Set goals

• identify areas of personal accomplishment and areas for enhancement in language learning and use

1.2 Clarify and Extend

Consider the ideas of others

• identify other perspectives by exploring a variety of ideas, opinions, responses and oral, print and other media texts

Combine ideas

• use talk, notes, personal writing and representing to record and reflect on ideas, information and experiences

Extend understanding

• explore ways to find additional ideas and information to extend understanding

General Outcome 2 (Gr. 4)

Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to comprehend and respond personally and critically to oral, print and other media texts.

2.1 Use Strategies and Cues

Use prior knowledge

• use ideas and concepts, developed through personal interests, experiences and discussion, to understand new ideas and information
• explain how the organizational structure of oral, print and other media texts can assist in constructing and confirming meaning

Use comprehension strategies

• preview sections of print texts to identify the general nature of the information and to set appropriate purpose and reading rate
• comprehend new ideas and information by responding personally and discussing ideas with others
• extend sight vocabulary to include words frequently used in other subject areas
• monitor understanding by confirming or revising inferences and predictions based on information in text

Use textual cues

• use text features, such as headings, subheadings and margin organizers, to enhance understanding of ideas and information
• distinguish differences in the structural elements of texts, such as letters and storybooks, to access and comprehend ideas and information

Use phonics and structural analysis

• identify and know the meaning of some frequently used prefixes and suffixes
• apply knowledge of root words, compound words, syllabication, contractions and complex word families to read unfamiliar words in context
• integrate knowledge of phonics and sight vocabulary with knowledge of language and context clues to read unfamiliar words in context

Use references

• use alphabetical order by first and second letter to locate information in reference materials
• use junior dictionaries, spell-check functions and electronic dictionaries to confirm the spellings or locate the meanings of unfamiliar words in oral, print and other media texts

2.2 Respond to Texts

Experience various texts

• experience oral, print and other media texts from a variety of cultural traditions and genres, such as personal narratives, plays, novels, video programs, adventure stories, folk tales, informational texts, mysteries, poetry and CDROM programs
• identify and discuss favourite authors, topics and kinds of oral, print and other media texts
• discuss a variety of oral, print or other media texts by the same author, illustrator, storyteller or filmmaker
• retell events of stories in another form or medium
• make general evaluative statements about oral, print and other media texts

Construct meaning from texts

• connect the thoughts and actions of characters portrayed in oral, print and other media texts to personal and classroom experiences
• identify the main events in oral, print and other media texts; explain their causes, and describe how they influence subsequent events
• compare similar oral, print and other media texts and express preferences, using evidence from personal experiences and the texts
• develop own opinions based on ideas encountered in oral, print and other media texts

Appreciate the artistry of texts

• explain how onomatopoeia and alliteration are used to create mental images
• explain how language and visuals work together to communicate meaning and enhance effect 

2.3 Understand Forms, Elements and Techniques

Understand forms and genres

• describe and compare the main characteristics of a variety of oral, print and other media texts
• identify various ways that information can be recorded and presented visually

Understand techniques and elements  

• identify and explain connections among events, setting and main characters in oral, print and other media texts
• identify the speaker or narrator of oral, print or other media texts
• identify how specific techniques are used to affect viewer perceptions in media texts

Experiment with language  

• recognize how words and word combinations, such as word play, repetition and rhyme, influence or convey meaning 

2.4 Create Original Text

Generate ideas

• use a variety of strategies for generating and organizing ideas and experiences in oral, print and other media texts

Elaborate on the expression of ideas

• select and use visuals that enhance meaning of oral, print and other media texts

Structure texts

• produce oral, print and other media texts that follow a logical sequence, and demonstrate clear relationships between character and plot
• produce narratives that describe experiences and reflect personal responses

General Outcome 3 (Gr. 4)

Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to manage ideas and information.

3.1 Plan and Focus

Focus attention

• use organizational patterns of expository texts to understand ideas and information
• focus topics appropriately for particular audiences

Determine information needs

• ask relevant questions, and respond to questions related to particular topics

Plan to gather information

• develop and follow a class plan for accessing and gathering ideas and information

3.2 Select and Process

Use a variety of sources

• locate information to answer research questions, using a variety of sources, such as maps, atlases, charts, dictionaries, school libraries, video programs, elders in the community and field trips

Access information

• use a variety of tools, such as indices, legends, charts, glossaries, typographical features and dictionary guide words, to access information
• identify information sources that inform, persuade or entertain, and use such sources appropriately

Evaluate sources

• recall important points, and make and revise predictions regarding upcoming information

3.3 Organize, Record and Evaluate

Organize information  

• organize ideas and information, using appropriate categories, chronological order, cause and effect, or posing and answering questions
• record ideas and information that are on topic
• organize oral, print and other media texts into sections that relate to and develop the topic

Record information

• make notes of key words, phrases and images by subtopics; cite titles and authors of sources alphabetically
• paraphrase information from oral, print and other media sources

Evaluate information

• examine gathered information to identify if more information is required; review new understanding

3.4 Share and Review

Share ideas and information

• communicate ideas and information in a variety of oral, print and other media texts, such as short reports, talks and posters
• select visuals, print and/or other media to add interest and to engage the audience

Review research process

• identify strengths and areas for improvement in research process

General Outcome 4 (Gr. 4)

Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to enhance the clarity and artistry of communication.

4.1 Enhance and Improve

Appraise own and others’ work

• identify the general impression and main idea communicated by own and peers’ oral, print and other media texts
• use pre-established criteria to provide support and feedback to peers on their oral, print and other media texts

Revise and edit

• revise to ensure an understandable progression of ideas and information
• identify and reduce fragments and run-on sentences
• edit for subject-verb agreement

Enhance legibility

• write legibly, using a style that demonstrates awareness of alignment, shape and slant
• use special features of software when composing, formatting and revising texts

Expand knowledge of language

• use an increasing variety of words to express and extend understanding of concepts related to personal interests and topics of study
• recognize English words and expressions that come from other cultures or languages

Enhance artistry

• experiment with combining detail, voice-over, music and dialogue with sequence of events

4.2 Attend to Conventions

Attend to grammar and usage

• identify simple and compound sentence structures, and use in own writing
• identify correct noun-pronoun agreement, and use in own writing
• identify past, present and future action

Attend to spelling

• use phonic knowledge and skills and visual memory, systematically, to spell multisyllable words in own writing
• identify and apply common spelling generalizations in own writing
• apply strategies for identifying and learning to spell problem words in own writing

Attend to capitalization and punctuation

• use capitalization to designate organizations and to indicate the beginning of quotations in own writing
• use commas after introductory words in sentences and when citing addresses in own writing
• identify quotation marks in passages of dialogue, and use them to assist comprehension

4.3 Present and Share

Present information

• present to peers ideas and information on a topic of interest, in a well-organized form

Enhance presentation

• add interest to presentations through the use of props, such as pictures, overheads and artifacts

Use effective oral and visual communication

• adjust volume, tone of voice and gestures appropriately, to suit a variety of social and classroom activities

Demonstrate attentive listening and viewing

• connect own ideas, opinions and experiences to those communicated in oral and visual presentations
• give constructive feedback, ask relevant questions, and express related opinions in response to oral and visual presentations

General Outcome 5 (Gr. 4)

Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to respect, support and collaborate with others.

5.1 Respect Others and Strengthen Community

Appreciate diversity

• describe similarities and differences between personal experiences and the experiences of people or characters from various cultures portrayed in oral, print and other media texts
• appreciate that responses to some oral, print or other media texts may be different

Relate texts to culture

• identify and discuss main characters, plots, settings and illustrations in oral, print and other media texts from diverse cultures and communities

Celebrate accomplishments and events

• use appropriate language to acknowledge special events and to honour accomplishments in and beyond the classroom

Use language to show respect

• identify and discuss differences in language use in a variety of school and community contexts

5.2 Work within a Group

Cooperate with others

• take responsibility for collaborating with others to achieve group goals
• ask for and provide information and assistance, as appropriate, for completing individual and group tasks

Work in groups

• share personal knowledge of a topic to develop purposes for research or investigations and possible categories of questions
• use brainstorming, summarizing and reporting to organize and carry out group projects

Evaluate group process

• assess group process, using established criteria, and determine areas for improvement