Grade 4
ELA: Writing
Use the information below to get a deeper understanding of what your child has mastered and areas where your child may need more help. There are also resources you can use to find activities to support your child’s learning at home.
What does my child need to understand and do in this area?
Students can develop a well organized written response for a variety of purposes and audiences. Their writing must include appropriate detail and evidence to support their main idea, as well as use grade-appropriate spelling and grammar.
Sample Test Questions
Here are sample test questions that show the skills and concepts students should know and understand in Grade 4.
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1-
A student is writing a report for his teacher about raising frogs. Read the draft of the report and complete the task that follows.
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When Robert brought the frog eggs to school, they looked like tiny jelly balls. They were attached like a bunch of…
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Choose the best two phrases to connect “It was disappointing that we were not able to see the hatching itself” and “raising frogs has been very interesting so far.”
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2
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A student is writing a story for language arts about learning to ski. Read the draft of the story and complete the task that follows.
The student wants to make sure that he has used the right words to make his meaning clear. Click on two of the bolded words that he should change.
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This weekend, I went skiing with my friend Jack and his family. I had never been there before, so I was really excited.…
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This weekend, I went skiing with my friend Jack and his family. I had never been there before, so I was really excited. The mountains looked so beautiful with their peaks covered in snow.
First, Jack’s father gave me a ski lesson and I practiced for a while. Then, we rode to the ski slope on the thing that takes people to the mountain top. It was fun to slide on the skis, but I forgot how to stop and crashed into Jack. We both fell down, but we weren’t hurt. Jack’s dad was laughing. He helped us up and taught me how to stop again.
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3
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Read the story and the question that follows.
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Today, our class went to The Fishery, a local fish store, because we are learning about fish: where they live and how they…
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What is the best way to correct the punctuation error in the underlined sentence?
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A
The girl working in the store told me the lights are neon, and they are used to show off the bright colors of each fish.
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B
The girl working in the store told me, the lights, are neon and they are used to show off the bright colors of each fish.
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C
The girl, working in the store told me, “The lights are neon” and they are used to show off the bright colors of each fish.
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D
The girl working in the store told me, the lights are “neon,” and they are used to show off the “bright colors” of each fish.
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A
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A
The girl working in the store told me the lights are neon, and they are used to show off the bright colors of each fish.
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A
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Before your next parent teacher conference
This helpful “Guide to a Meaningful Parent Teacher Conference” includes a list of questions to discuss with the teacher about your child’s classroom performance, academic progress and more.
Download the Guide -
M-STEP has innovative accessibility resources
The M-STEP has resources for students who have specific learning needs, such as those with disabilities and those learning English. These resources help students show what they know and can do on the test. Learn more about the supports and accommodations students have access to on the M-STEP.
Download the Document -
Do you have a third grade student?
In 2016, the Michigan Legislature passed a law that requires schools to identify learners who are struggling with reading and writing and to provide additional help. The law states that third graders may repeat third grade if they are more than one grade level behind beginning with the 2019-2020 school year.
- View this parent friendly video for information on this law.
- Check out Facts for Families: What is the Read by Grade Three Law?
- Visit the Early Literacy – Read by Grade Three Law for additional resources including resources in Spanish and Arabic.
Where can I find resources to help my child with these skills?
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Kahn Academy can provide personalized learning resources for your children. All Khan Academy content is available for free. Check out the Kahn Academy site.
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Use these Family Guides from the Seek Common Ground to better understand more about what children should know and be able to do by the end of each grade.
Go to the Guides. -
See more test questions: Check out even more sample test questions—as well as the testing resources available to students—at the Smarter Balanced Sample Items Website.