the text. They read closely not for the sake of close reading, but for the sake of deeply understanding
a topic or narrative of interest. Teachers work to ensure reading is worthwhile; they strategically pose
questions and facilitate engaging conversations about the content of the text and the text itself.Language Development
As discussed in chapter 2 of this ELA/ELD Framework,
language is central to reading, writing, speaking, and listening—
and all learning. Language development was a high priority in
transitional kindergarten through grade three and continues to
be so in the fourth- and fifth-grade span and beyond.
In the transitional kindergarten through third grade
span, students expanded their vocabulary repertoires and
grammatical and discourse understandings and uses in each
of the ELA/literacy strands. They learned to determine the
meaning of words and phrases, including general academic and
domain-specific words and phrases as they are used in texts
(RL.3.4/RI.1–3.4). They learned to use sentence-level context
to determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multi-
meaning words and phrases (L.1–3.4a). They also learned to
use word parts to determine the meaning of words. Specifically, they learned about affixes, including
prefixes such as dis-, un-, re-, and pre- and suffixes such as -less, -ful, and -able, and they learned
to use known root words as clues to the meanings of unknown words containing the same root, such
as company/companion and phone/phonics/symphony (L.K–3.4b, L.1–3.4c). In grades two and three,
they gained skill in using print and digital glossaries and beginning dictionaries to determine or clarify
the precise meaning of word and phrases in all content areas (L.2.4e/L.3.4d). By the end of grade
three, students learned to distinguish shades of meaning among related words that describe states of
mind or degrees of certainty (L.3.5c).
Prior to entering grade four, students learned to use linking words and phrases (such as because,
therefore, for example) and temporal words appropriate for different purposes and types of writing:
opinion pieces, informative/explanatory texts, and narratives (W.2–3, Standards 1–3). They also
gained an awareness of different registers of language (L.2–3.3) and built skill in choosing words and
phrases for effect (L.3.3).
Students in the fourth- and fifth-grade span continue to draw on what they learned in previous
grades. New to this span in terms of attention to language and language awareness are the following:
- Using Greek and Latin affixes and roots as clues to meaning (L.4–5.4b)
- Using a thesaurus (L.4–5.4c)
- Using concrete words and phrases and sensory details in narratives and precise language and
domain-specific vocabulary in informational/explanatory writing (W.4–5.2b, W.4–5.2d, W.4–
5.3d) - Acquiring and using accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words
and phrases that signal precise actions, emotions, or states of being (L.4.6) or signal contrast,
addition, and other logical relationships (L.5.6) - Differentiating between contexts that call for formal English (e.g., presenting ideas) and
situations where informal discourse is appropriate (e.g., small-group discussion) (L.4.3c) - Expanding, combining, and reducing sentences for meaning, reader/listener interest, and style
(L.5.3a) - Comparing and contrasting the varieties of English (e.g., dialects, registers) used in stories,
dramas, or poems (L.5.3b)
402 | Chapter 5 Grades 4 and 5