The focus of reading instruction will be to increase comprehension by developing the following reading strategies: comparing and contrasting, making connections, making predictions, identifying the author's purpose, identifying fact/opinion, summarizing, developing vocabulary, word analysis, and much more! A variety of genre will be used for novel studies and leveled books. We will be utilizing our new Scholastic book room. Students will take the fourth grade reading SOL test in the final weeks of the 2012-2013 school year.

Topics for Writing/English instruction will include subject-verb agreement, noun-pronoun agreement, preposistional phrases, correct use of punctuation, parts of speech, homonyms, antonyms, synonyms, and oral communication. Students will write poetry, narratives, and explanations, including several related paragraphs on a single topic. Students will also learn the basics of research utilizing both traditional print and electronic resources.

Word study instruction will include identifying each student's strengths and weaknesses and monitoring progress frequently. Please encourage your child to learn the word features by sorting daily and completing homework.