Ruby Collins/ 4^th Grade/ ELAR

       After years of being a self-contained teacher, this year fourth grade has been departmentalized.  I am the English language Arts/Reading teacher (ELAR) this year. Departmentalizing helps with knowing your subject very well and you become comfortable differentiating because of this expertise. You not only get to know your own class, but now you know every student in the grade you’re teaching. 

Reading:

• Literature - students learn to respond and comprehend a variety of literature including fiction, non-fiction, biography, poetry, and the characteristics of various literary genres.
• Vocabulary skills – synonyms, antonyms, suffixes, and prefixes
• Comprehension – sequential order, facts & opinion, cause and effect, author’s purpose, and inferring.
• State simulation assessment – mock assessment that uses simulated questions to teach students how to apply reading comprehension  skills to high stakes test.

Writing:

• Grammar – students learn to apply what they have learned about grammar and mechanics as they write original composition. Lessons focus on parts of speech, similes, and metaphors, punctuations, and spelling rule.
• Written communication – students learn to communicate through creative writing for a variety of purposes such as informing, persuading, influencing, responding, and creating. Lessons involve the Writing Process; personal experience writing, and research.
• Conventions of language - students learn the various conventions of language to aid in communicating ideas orally. Lessons focus on developing the students active listening and critical thinking skills in order to enhance understanding.

 Fourth grade is a big leap from little kid to big kid.  It’s a year of great strides academically, socially, and emotionally. Fourth grade is a big transitionally year for most children. They have learned to read and are now reading to learn.  In most American elementary schools these days, fourth grade is the high stakes teaching assignment, and fourth grade has long been considered a critical point in the elementary school experience. My goal is to be an effective teacher, by providing explicit instruction, challenging and involving students, asking many inferential questions and crafting stimulating curricular activities.   This will produce dramatically superior student achievement.