Instruction also includes exploration and analysis of wording and sentence structures in complex
texts, as well as judicious use of sentence frames to facilitate the use of more sophisticated phrases
and grammatical structures. Examples of open sentence frames that both focus on grammatical
understandings and provide opportunities for participating in extended academic discourse include the
following:
- In other words, ____.
- Essentially, I am arguing that __.
- My point is not that we should , but that we should .
- What really means is .
- To put it another way, _____.
- In sum, then, _____.
- My conclusion, then, is that _____.
- In short, _____.
- What is more important is_____.
- Incidentally, _____.
- By the way, _____.
- Chapter 2 explores while Chapter 3 examines .
- Having just argued that , let us now turn our attention to .
- Although some readers may object that , I would answer that .
Reading and discussing texts are critical for language development. It is important to note,
however, that language is also developed through rich content experiences. Engaging collaborative
hands-on activities accompanied by meaningful discussions provide reasons for discussing and using
new language. Participation in joint research projects, too, expands students’ exposure to language
and provides authentic reasons to use that language as they convey what they have learned to others.
Effective Expression
Students in grade four advance in their ability to express
themselves effectively in writing, discussions, and presentations. They
employ language conventions appropriate for the grade level. Each of
these topics is discussed in this section.
Writing
As in all grades, students in grade four write daily. Some writing
tasks are brief; some take days to complete. Some are individual
endeavors; some are written in collaboration with peers. Writing
is taught explicitly and modeled, and significant time is dedicated
to writing in multiple contexts for multiple purposes. For example,
students may write to:
- Share the steps in a process, such as how to use the class video camera
- Convey impressions, such as emotions that are evoked by a painting or historical or
contemporary speech - Explain a phenomenon, such as the different pitches generated when striking glasses with
different amounts of water - Present an argument, such as providing reasons for considering a current community or
historical incident unjust or building a case for providing more time for physical activity at school
Grade 4 Chapter 5 | 429