Home » Grade-by-Grade »
Grade-by-Grade Learning: 4th Grade
Learn the Lingo
What Are Student-led Conferences?
A student-led conference involves the parent or guardian, the teacher and the student. At the conference, the student describes the learning activities and projects they have completed in the class and what they have learned as a result. It enables students to take a more active role in the assessment process than the traditional parent-teacher conference, and is also an opportunity for children to take pride in their work.
Finding a Niche
Fourth graders straddle two worlds. In one world, they may be advanced and independent learners who can use their new abilities to express themselves in exciting ways. In the other, they may be dramatic worriers who have a hard time managing all the work that is expected of them.
Fortunately, fourth graders begin to find their academic niche. They prefer to spend time doing things that interest them where they have the most confidence in their abilities. Strong readers will be extremely interested in reading books in genres or subject areas that excite them. They often devour book series like bags of chips.
Teachers who work well with fourth graders take them seriously — and work to keep their interests alive.
Fourth graders are also finding their social niche, but competitive feelings may interfere with the learning process. Cultural and socioeconomic differences become more apparent to children, who may begin to group accordingly. Students who have trouble understanding a difficult topic may be afraid to ask for help for fear of looking less smart than their peers, others may not participate for fear of looking too smart. "This is a very typical response for children of this age," says Linda Lendman, M.S.W, family coordinator at the Rand School in Montclair, New Jersey. "Fourth graders are overly concerned about peer responses and need to be encouraged to continue to ask questions. They need to be reminded that smart people ask questions, and that it is the best way to learn."
The Social Challenge of Fourth Grade
Fourth graders are more socially sophisticated and outspoken than their parents were at the same age. As a group, girls today start puberty earlier than they did in the past, with some getting their periods by age nine. Many children show off the "hip teen" attitude they pick up from pop culture at a time when their parents were still playing with toys.
Fourth grade can be a year packed with social dilemmas. "Every day, I work with groups of girls who are angry with other groups of girls," says Lendman. "There’s a lot of drama, they’re hormonally charged, and living in a more sophisticated culture. But they are only nine and things can still feel overwhelming to them. The good news is that many kids want to work issues out. They can learn to improve their communication skills with the support of adults and structured social emotional learning programs."