Fourth-grade students will read a variety of fiction and nonfiction literature and will apply a variety of reading comprehension strategies to enhance understanding in all content areas. In addition, students will plan, draft, revise, and edit narratives and explanations. All aspects of literacy will be taught through a balanced literacy framework for instruction, enabling all students to become independent and strategic readers, writers, thinkers, and communicators.

Fourth-grade mathematics provides students with many opportunities to engage in experiences involving problem solving, data collection and analysis, and algebraic thinking. Major topics included in the course of study are double-digit multiplication, division, fractions, decimals, and geometry. The Virginia Standards of Learning provide the foundation for fourth grade mathematics.

In fourth grade accelerated mathematics, problem-solving strategies, logical reasoning skills, and algebraic thinking skills continue to be developed and refined. Extensive work with computation with whole numbers, decimals, and fractions is included. Additionally, students explore topics in measurement, geometry, data analysis, and probability. All fourth grade and most fifth grade Virginia Mathematics Standards of Learning (2009) are included in this course.

Our goal for our fourth-grade scientists is that they do what scientists in the real world do: question, use information, hypothesize, analyze data, and experiment. In order to practice being scientists, we study the basic principles of electricity and the concept of motion. We also explore basic information about our solar system and investigate the interactions among Earth, the moon, and the sun. We also investigate weather and how it affects our climate. We grow into scientists through exploring basic plant anatomy, and plant adaptations. We also investigate relationships among plants and animals and their environments along with researching specific environments here in Virginia. It’s an exciting year to become a scientist in 4th grade!

As fourth graders here at Reams, we dive into the history of our commonwealth, Virginia. After starting with the geography of Virginia, we travel back in time learning about our state’s native peoples. We then move through history continuing with the first permanent English settlement at Jamestown and move all the way through the Twentieth Century. In these studies we learn about Virginia’s economy and how the cultural makeup of our state has influenced Virginia’s history from pre-colonial times to the end of the Twentieth Century. The journey through our history is long, but exciting as we learn about our state’s history!