Introduction
Fourth grade is the fourth year of school for students after kindergarten. Students in this grade have ages of between nine and ten years. Teachers must use effective educational strategies and instructional methods in teaching English Language Arts.
This discussion explores the strategies and methods of instruction that the teachers can use in order to ensure comprehension and application of the content by fourth grade students. The strategies used should also ensure that the students perform well in the New York State English Language Arts test. The teachers should also use teaching strategies that ensure that the New York English Learning Standards for fourth grade are met.
Learning and applying the English Language Arts content
English Language Arts is supposed to polish the reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills of students. At each grade, there are certain expectations that students should meet in their mastery of the English language. At fourth grade, students have already learnt reading, writing, listening and speaking skills from earlier grades.
They use these skills to comprehend more complex texts. In order to sufficiently master English Language Arts in this grade, the students need to be exposed to opportunities that will enable them to have active involvement in reading, research, speaking, and thinking about relevant topics in their grade.
Fourth grade teachers should incorporate games and interesting activities in their lessons in order to capture the attention of the students and to engage them in learning activities. Various vocabulary and reading activities and games can help the students to grasp facts in a fun way (Moore and Moore 2004).
At fourth grade, students are supposed to improve their reading skills. At this stage, students are exposed to different kinds of literature, plays, poetry, speeches, drama, fables, folktales, short stories, myths, legends, and autobiographies, among others. The students can read these texts on their own without the teacher’s intervention. They use these literary texts to observe the use of words by authors to bring out a particular meaning, text structures, and the use of graphics to explain the text.
They read these texts and draw conclusions. They also learn to differentiate different authors’ points of view. Moreover, they learn about various figurative features used in writing hyperbole, personification, metaphors, among others. They also use these literary texts to understand the concepts of themes, character traits, and conflicts in the text. Teachers should enhance their students understanding of these texts by asking them to respond through dramatizing or paraphrasing them.
While reading, fourth grade students enhance their understanding of difficult and ambiguous text through strategies like self-questioning methods.
The teachers should engage their fourth grade students in literature response activities that are challenging, for instance, asking them to relate with the characters or asking them what they think the outcome of the story would have been if something was done differently. This encourages the students to think critically about the texts and therefore, enhance their comprehension (Eggen and Kauchak 2008).
Teachers also enhance their fourth grade students’ skills by exposing them to informational texts such as magazines, textbooks, tables, charts, recipes, maps, advertisements, and photographs, among others. The students are taught how to interpret this information and make conclusions.
They learn how to use features such as captions, print styles, chapter headings and subheadings appropriately in their writing. Fourth grade students also learn the use of structures like appendices, table of contents, index and glossary in their writing. Moreover, they learn how to construe graphic features like charts and tables. Students also learn to examine texts in order to get facts, opinions, and relationships. They can respond to these texts through writing and creative dramatization (Perullo 2003).
Students in fourth grade also learn how to build their vocabulary and analyze words in order to be able to read fluently. These students need strategies to develop vocabulary and be able to analyze and understand texts as the complexity of their texts increases. Students start to apply the complex vocabulary that they learn in their reading to their writing and speaking. They learn the meanings of complex words and words with more than one meaning.
The teachers should use strategies to enable the students to learn the use of euphemisms, affixes and roots and be able to apply them in their work. The students also learn what it means to connote and denote in text. Teachers can enhance their students’ reading skills through asking them to read texts and narratives aloud in class while checking for proper accuracy, fluency, pacing, and expression.
This will make sure that the students are actively engaged in learning and enable the teacher to identify the weak points in the students’ grammar. Correcting the students will make sure that they do not repeat the same mistakes again and therefore their grammar will be improved (Moore and Moore 2004).
Vocabulary building can be improved through creative ways like putting new words in word walls, vocabulary journals, and other devices in the classroom. Another strategy that teachers can use to build their students vocabulary is to use complex words as they teach and encourage the students to use those words in their writing and speech. In addition, teachers can encourage the students to read a wide variety of books because they are likely to encounter more new words.
Students should also practice reading various fourth grade level texts on their own in order to broaden their vocabulary. The more they read, the more they will come across many new words and when they try to find out their meanings, their vocabulary will be broadened (Eggen and Kauchak 2008).
The students in fourth grade also hone their writing skills in preparation for the English Language Arts test through various strategies. They need to develop writing which is well organized, clearly focused, well elaborated and with the proper application of conventions. The students continue to polish their writing skills through writing, revising and editing texts. They learn how to develop content, use conventions and organize their writing.
Teachers should ensure that the students practice writing every day so as to sufficiently sharpen their writing skills. Enough practice will enhance their mastery of the English language and thus, they will be well prepared for the English language Arts test. The students improve their grammar by identifying and using verbs, prepositions, adverbs, and conjunctions in their writing.
They also practice the correct usage of commas, parenthesis, apostrophes, italics, quotation marks, capitalization, and underlining in their writing. Teachers should engage fourth grade students in activities like brainstorming and using literary models and graphic organizers to organize their ideas before they start writing. They should also practice writing proper paragraphs by stating the main idea and providing details to support it (Moore and Moore 2004)
Fourth grade students also learn how to develop focused writing using different words to ensure clarity. They incorporate various transitional features in their writing like conjunctions in order to maintain the flow of their ideas. They also learn to use revision strategies to edit and proofread their work to ensure clarity and eliminate any mistakes. They proof read to ensure the proper usage of commas, punctuations, capitalization, and spelling, among others.
Teachers should train the students to use technology to develop their documents. They should show a mastery of the English language by writing compositions that are comprehensible and free from mistakes. Teachers can help sharpen the writing skills of their students by giving them assignments to write compositions describing certain experiences, events or objects.
The teacher should then mark the compositions and include corrections to the mistakes made so that the student can learn from them and write better next time. Writing skills can also be improved through strategies such as writing conferences, shared writing and peer response and writing. In shared writing the students and the teacher contribute their ideas and thoughts during the writing process to compose a text. In peer response and editing, students evaluate each other’s written work and give response and feedback.
This enables the students to learn from each other. The teacher is also able to gauge whether his/her students can identify writing mistakes made by the others and therefore determine their level of mastery of the English language (Perullo 2003).
In this grade, the students also learn how to write for different audiences and purposes. The teachers should teach them how to develop communications like blogs, emails, and flyers, among others. They also need to develop skills for reflective and descriptive types of writing.
Fourth grade students also need to learn how to create writings like narratives, biographies, songs, plays, poems, reports, among others. Students can improve their skills in writing different types of sentences through interesting activities and games that enable them to identify and differentiate between interrogative, imperative, declarative and exclamatory sentences. Games and activities can also be used to teach transitions to the students in order to improve their essay writing skills (Flood 2003).
Speaking and listening skills are also polished in fourth grade. Students learn to verbally communicate with different people through engagement in conversations with their fellow students and teachers. Their speech should have appropriate pitch, phrasing and accent. They learn how to engage in effective group interactions by speaking one person at a time instead of every one speaking at the same time. They should also learn the appropriate manner of speaking to different audiences.
Having proper verbal skills enables the students to participate effectively in group discussions. This enables them to learn new ideas from others. The students with good speaking skills are also able to participate in class by asking well-formulated questions and responding appropriately to questions asked. They are also able to seek others’ opinions about various issues and give their own opinion with reasons to support it.
The students are also able to respond to questions asked by the teacher and give proper clarifications and illustrations when asked to do so. They should be able to explain points in class while using examples, details, and proper accent, gestures and phrasing to enhance the clarity of the message. In addition, they should have proper presentation skills in order to be able to introduce a concept, explain it and conclude appropriately.
Teachers can improve their’ students speaking skills through giving them assignments that require them to do oral presentations and recitations in class. This will enhance their speaking skills as well as build their confidence. The students can also hold dialogues or debates on controversial issues. This will ensure that the students air their opinions and support them.
During the presentations, the teacher should ensure that the students are able to articulate the ideas about a certain experience or event and be able to catch the attention of the listeners. Having proper speaking skills enables the students to express themselves and share ideas with others, which is essential for successful learning (Eggen and Kauchak 2008).
Fourth grade students also learn how to access and use information for different purposes. They learn to access information from other sources like books, newspapers, magazines, dictionaries, atlases, thesauruses, encyclopedias and other materials. They paraphrase the information gathered from these sources and use it in their writing. They also learn to support the ideas in their writing through the use of charts, pictures, or diagrams.
Moreover, they learn strategies for organizing their information such as categorization and classification. The students learn information gathering skills like using the internet to search for information and interviewing skills. They are able to correctly reference their work by listing the sources of their information.
At this grade students should be taught how to write from other sources of information by paraphrasing and providing references in order to distinguish between their ideas and those from other sources. They learn how to use other sources and technology to seek information (Flood 2003).
Preparing for the New York State English Language Arts test
The English Language Arts test is done every year by students in fourth grade in New York. The purpose of this test is to determine how well the students have mastered the New York State Learning Standards of English and Language Arts at fourth grade.
The test also reviews the class level of the students and establishes whether it meets the standards of the No Child Left behind Act. This test consists of short fiction and non-fiction stories from which multiple-choice questions are derived. The students’ mastery of grammar, spelling, punctuation and reading comprehension are tested (Flood 2003).
There are four New York State English learning standards. In standard one, the students write, read, listen and speak in order to acquire, understand and transmit information, while in standard two they learn in order to be able to express themselves and respond to literary texts. In standard three, students read, write, listen and speak in order to be able to analyze and evaluate information, ideas and information critically. In standard for, the students learn in order to be able to interact effectively with different people (Whiting 2003).
In order for fourth grade students to meet the New York State English Learning Standards on the English Language Arts test and perform well, the teachers need to use several educational strategies and instructional methods. To effectively prepare students for this test, the teachers need to ensure that they read frequently to enhance their skills in fluency and reading comprehension. Teachers should provide entertaining books to the students to practice with.
The teachers can also give sample practice tests to the students in preparation for the English Language Arts test. These sample tests can be acquired from the New York State Department of Education. Doing sample tests enables the student to get an idea on the type of questions that will be asked and will therefore feel comfortable and well prepared for the test.
The teacher can also guide the students to explore websites that offer a variety of educational activities, games, worksheets, homework, reading help and puzzles to enhance the students’ mastery of the English language Arts in a fun way. This helps to catch their attention and also enhance their understanding. The students can also visit learning centers and libraries for additional knowledge on English Language Arts (Perullo 2003).
In order to efficiently prepare for the English Language Arts test, the students should polish their writing skills through thorough practice on correct spelling of words, correct use of punctuation marks and proper use of grammar. Writing activities and games can help the students to improve their writing skills in preparation for the test. Students should practice writing compositions on different events and experiences in order to have excellent writing skills by the time they sit for the English Language Arts test (Whiting 2003).
Text comprehension is important for the students to perform well in the English Language Arts test. Therefore, the students need to use various strategies in order to enhance their comprehension of texts. They should practice comparing and combining information from different sources.
As they read texts, they should use strategies like questioning, summarizing, supporting or disagreeing with the author’s opinion and clarifying ambiguities for further understanding of the text that they are reading or listening to. They should also practice rereading, cross-checking, and confirming to check their progress in comprehension of the text.
The students should also read various texts as they try to understand the deeper meaning and try to distinguish between the different techniques of writing used in various information sources. Teachers should ensure that the students are grasping the English language arts by administering tests that evaluate their mastery of various concepts.
They should test their vocabularies, administer comparison tests and excerpt questions to measure their reading comprehension, grammar, among others. Through these tests, the teacher will be able to find out the areas in which the students are experiencing difficulties, and therefore spend more time teaching them (Flood 2003).
In order to enhance their literary response and analysis, teachers should ensure that the students practice reading fourth grade level literature and answer questions that are derived from it. They should respond to the literary text through dramatizing, writing and oral presentations. They should try to understand the author’s purpose for writing the text and the main message being transmitted. After reading the text, the students should have a personal point of view and use evidence to support it (Moore and Moore 2004)
Other strategies that teachers can use to ensure that their fourth grade students are well prepared for the English Language Arts test include using flash cards, question exchange and mock testing.
Flash cards can be used to broaden the vocabulary mastery. Vocabularies relevant to fourth grade level students are written on the cards together with their definitions and students will engage in a group activity of trying to tell the meanings of the words. This activity will keep the students actively engaged and will enable them to retain the vocabularies learnt in their memory (Whiting 2003).
Question exchange strategy is important in helping the students to understand the test questions. In this strategy, the students and the teacher will go through sample tests questions and learn how to interpret them correctly by paying attention to sentence structure, formatting and punctuation.
They should practice altering the questions to derive a different meaning and then try answering it. This exercise will enable the students to learn how to correctly interpret questions so that they can give the required answers. Failure to pay attention to the structure of the question might lead to misinterpretation and therefore giving the wrong answer (Whiting 2003).
The teachers should also use a mock testing strategy. This will ensure that the students get to understand the nature of the English language arts test and what is required of them to score good marks. The teacher should administer a mock test and mark it. Then he/she should review it with the students. This enables the students to gain confidence and get acquainted with the English Language Arts test setting (Whiting 2003).
In preparation for the English Language Arts test, fourth grade students should be taught lessons to help them identify suffixes and prefixes and learn the correct word meanings. Their vocabulary lessons should include antonyms, synonyms and homonyms. They should also be taught literature-based topics to broaden their vocabulary.
They also need to learn different nouns. Various games and activities can be incorporated in lesson plans to enable the students to learn in an enjoyable and engaging environment. For instance, activities in which a teacher reads out a text and asks the students to write a list of nouns that they hear. The student who writes the longest list of nouns wins. This enables the students to grasp concepts more easily and remember them during the test (Eggen and Kauchak 2008).
For students to be fluent readers they need to be able to automatically recognize words, read with expression, break up the sentence into meaningful parts, change the emphasis and tone where required and incorporate pauses at the middle and end of sentences.
To ensure the students master fluency, teachers should engage them in activities that expose them to words, letters and letter combinations. These activities and games, such as tracing, writing and copying words should help them form a connection between auditory and visual representations (Whiting 2003).
Conclusion
The English language Arts test is very important for fourth graders and therefore, they should be well prepared for it. This test evaluates the mastery of the English language at this level.
Teachers should therefore use appropriate strategies and methods of instruction in teaching this course in order to ensure that the fourth graders understand the content and are able to apply it in their English Language Arts test. Several teaching strategies and instructional methods such as incorporating games and fun activities in the lesson plan can go along way in catching the attention of the students as well as enhancing their comprehension of the content.
Reference List
Eggen, P., and Kauchak, D. (2008). Educational Psychology: Windows on Classrooms. 8th ed. USA: Prentice Hall
Flood, J. (2003). Handbook of Research on Teaching the English Language Arts. 2nd ed. USA: Routledge.
Moore, R. and Moore, M.A. (2004). Active Teaching and Learning Strategies: Creating a Blueprint for Success. UK: Trafford Publishing.
Perullo, D. (2003). Roadmap to 4th Grade English Language Arts, New York Edition. New York: The Princeton Review.
Whiting, D.S. (2003). Let’s Prepare for the New York State Grade 4 English Language Arts. USA: Barron’s Educational Series.