Fourth Grade

ELA 

As they approach middle school, students are expected to read and comprehend increasingly complex literary and informational texts, building knowledge and vocabulary while analyzing themes, characters, plot, main ideas, text structures, author’s purpose, and connections within and across texts. Students will draw several pieces of evidence from texts to support claims, conclusions, and inferences; summarize and synthesize important information; and use comprehension strategies to monitor and deepen their understanding. Teachers use EL Education as their curriculum.

Math

Fourth-grade mathematics in Virginia focuses on expanding arithmetic into complex reasoning, specifically through multi-digit multiplication, long division with remainders, fraction operations, and decimal number sense. Instruction strictly aligns with the state's Mathematics Standards of Learning (SOLs) to build problem-solving and justification skills. Like all elementary grades, students use the Eureka Math-Virginia curriculum to guide their learning. 

Science

In fourth grade science, students learn about the solar system, planet Earth, and ecosystems, including their own in the Commonwealth of Virginia. They’ll examine how features of plants and animals support life across the planet. Students will continue to develop skills in posing questions and predicting outcomes, planning and conducting simple investigations, collecting and analyzing data, constructing explanations, and communicating information about the natural world. Students continue to use the engineering process to apply their scientific knowledge to solve problems.

Social Studies

Fourth grade social studies provides students with a deeper understanding of Virginia’s history, geography, government, economics, and diverse cultures. They will examine Virginia’s Indigenous peoples, colonization, the American Revolution, westward expansion, the Civil War, Reconstruction, and the development of modern Virginia. Students will also use maps, timelines, primary and secondary sources, and historical evidence to investigate how people, events, and geographic factors shaped the Commonwealth. Students can explain important events and development, analyze cause-and-effect relationships, and construct clear claims supported by evidence and reasoning. 

Additional Learning Opportunities

Fourth grade students at RPS also receive exposure to the arts, including fine arts and music, as well as the library and PE classes. Many schools also offer periodic Spanish-language instruction — please reach out to your school principal to learn if this is an option. Additionally, fourth grade students transferring into RPS can test into SPACE programming, which offers a rigorous and challenging curriculum for academically advanced students. Initial testing typically occurs in the 2nd grade.

Social-emotional Skill Development 

In fourth grade, students should be developing greater self-management, independence, and responsibility. They should be able to manage strong emotions, organize their work, set goals, persevere through challenging tasks, and seek support proactively and appropriately. Students should also collaborate with different peers, consider multiple perspectives, communicate disagreements respectfully, and resolve conflicts through problem-solving and compromise.  Social-emotional growth is evident when students can accept constructive feedback, take responsibility for their choices, demonstrate empathy, advocate respectfully for themselves and others, respond appropriately to peer pressure, and actively help create an inclusive and supportive classroom community.