What your child learns in 4th grade in Texas
4th grade raises the pace with multi-digit multiplication and division, fractions and decimals, and longer writing. Social studies is Texas history: the American Indian groups of Texas, Spanish missions, the Texas Revolution, the Republic of Texas, statehood, and Texas's regions, economy and government.
4th grade subjects in the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS)
Math
Focus areas
- Number and operations: whole numbers to a billion, decimals to hundredths, fractions, and multi-digit multiplication and division
- Algebraic reasoning: input-output tables, equations with a letter, and perimeter and area formulas
- Geometry, measurement and data: lines, angles in degrees, symmetry, unit conversions, and dot and stem-and-leaf plots
17 units, including Numbers to 10,000, Tenths & Decimals, Decimals, Add & Subtract.
English Language Arts
Focus areas
- Foundational language skills: roots such as auto, graph and meter, homophones and spelling rules
- Comprehension, response and genres: tall tales, myths, plays, plot structure and summaries
- Author's purpose and craft, and composition: figurative language, point of view and anecdote, and editing sentences
14 units, including Reading Detectives, Text Features, Figurative Language, Point of View.
Science
Focus areas
- Mixtures, conservation of matter, energy, waves and circuits
- Seasons, Moon phases and the water cycle
- Weathering, weather and climate, and energy resources
17 units, including Particles & Mass, Mixtures & Solutions, Thermal Energy, Gravity & Magnets.
Social Studies
Focus areas
- Texas history: American Indian groups, explorers and missions, Mexican Texas
- The Texas Revolution, the Republic, statehood, the Civil War and Reconstruction
- Cattle, railroads, oil and 20th-century Texas
14 units, including First Peoples of Texas, Explorers & Missions, Mexican Texas, The Texas Revolution.
Printable 4th grade sheets
One free practice sheet for each subject, with an answer key. Print them, or work through them on screen.
- 4th grade MathNumbers to 10,000, Tenths & DecimalsOpen the sheet →
- 4th grade English Language ArtsReading Detectives, Text FeaturesOpen the sheet →
- 4th grade ScienceParticles & Mass, Mixtures & SolutionsOpen the sheet →
- 4th grade Social StudiesFirst Peoples of Texas, Explorers & MissionsOpen the sheet →
What to look for on the report card
Look for comments on reading for meaning, organized paragraphs, fractions and decimals, and research on Texas history.
Texas has no statewide report-card scale in 4th grade, so Gradelings describes practice in four steps: Beginning, Approaching, Meeting, Exceeding. See what each level means.
4th grade students also take the Texas state tests (STAAR). Read the state tests guide.
The TEKS process skills apply in every grade. Read about Process skills.
The four practice steps in 4th grade
- Beginning
- Practice shows a first understanding of the learning standards. Most answers still need a hint or a second try.
- At home: Just getting started with this idea. Short, regular practice with lots of support helps most.
- Approaching
- Practice shows a partial understanding of the learning standards. Some answers are right on the first try.
- At home: Understands parts of it and is building confidence. Keep practicing the tricky parts.
- Meeting
- Practice shows a solid understanding of the learning standards. Most answers are right on the first try.
- At home: Has it! Mixed review now and then keeps it strong.
- Exceeding
- Practice shows a deep understanding of the learning standards, including harder, unfamiliar questions.
- At home: Applies it confidently, even in new or harder situations. Try challenge mode and real-life problems.
Ready for 4th grade?
4th grade builds on what your child practiced in 3rd grade. If a skill feels shaky, a few short practice sessions before or early in the year can help:
- Math: Numbers to 100,000, Round & Count, Add & Subtract, Two-Step Stories, Multiplication
- English Language Arts: Read and Think, Story Elements, Word Jobs, Punctuation Power, Spelling Patterns
- Science: Matter & Particles, Pushes, Pulls & Forces, Speed & Motion, How Plants Grow & Change, Basic Needs & Life Cycles
- Social Studies: Needs Around the World, Working Together Fairly, Ask, Find & Record, People Who Built Communities, Heroes, Writers & Artists
Common questions
4th grade covers math, English language arts, science, social studies in the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). 4th grade raises the pace with multi-digit multiplication and division, fractions and decimals, and longer writing. Social studies is Texas history: the American Indian groups of Texas, Spanish missions, the Texas Revolution, the Republic of Texas, statehood, and Texas's regions, economy and government.
Texas has no statewide report-card scale in 4th grade, so Gradelings describes practice in four steps: Beginning, Approaching, Meeting, Exceeding. Students in 4th grade also write the Texas state tests (STAAR), which is separate from the report card.
Practice shows a solid understanding of the learning standards. Most answers are right on the first try. At home: Has it! Mixed review now and then keeps it strong.
4th grade builds on 3rd grade. In math, that means Numbers to 100,000, Round & Count, Add & Subtract. In English language arts, that means Read and Think, Story Elements, Word Jobs.
About 15 minutes a day of short practice works better than long sessions, on the skills your child's teacher flags. Practice math facts in short bursts, such as five minutes while dinner cooks. Take turns reading a page aloud, and chat about what happened and why. Praise effort, and stop on a success.
Practice 4th grade skills with Gradelings
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