4th GRADE
INFORMATIVE/EXPLANATORY
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information
clearly
FOCUS
● Identify and introduce the topic.
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Introduce a topic for the intended audience and group related information in paragraphs
and/or sections to support the writer’s purpose.
Introduce text(s) for the intended audience, state a topic, and create an organizational
structure in which related ideas are logically grouped to support the writer’s purpose.
CONTENT
● Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other
information and examples related to the topic; include illustrations and multimedia
when useful to aiding comprehension.
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Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information
and examples related to the topic.
Develop the analysis using a variety of evidence from text(s) to support claims, opinions, and
inferences.
ORGANIZATION
● Group related information in paragraphs and sections, linking ideas within
categories of information using words and phrases; provide a concluding statement
or section; include formatting when useful to aiding comprehension.
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Link ideas within categories of information using words and phrases (e.g., another, for
example, also, because).
Provide a concluding statement or section related to the information or explanation
presented.
Provide a concluding statement or section related to the analysis presented.
CONVENTIONS
● Demonstrate a grade appropriate command of the conventions of standard English
grammar and spelling
○
See Conventions Benchmarks
STYLE
●
Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the
topic.
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Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
Choose words and phrases to convey ideas precisely.
RESPONSE TO LITERATURE
● Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis,
reflection, and research, applying grade level reading standards for literature and
informational texts.
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Introduce text(s) for the intended audience, state a topic, and create an organizational
structure in which related ideas are logically grouped to support the writer’s purpose.
Develop the analysis using a variety of evidence from text(s) to support claims, opinions, and
inferences.
○
○
○
Link ideas within categories of information using words and phrases (e.g. another, for
example, also, because).
Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
Provide a concluding statement or section related to the analysis presented.
PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF WRITING
● With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing
as needed by planning, revising, and editing.
TECHNOLOGY AND PUBLICATION
● With some guidance and support, use technology, including the Internet, to produce
and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate
sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of one page in a single
sitting.
CONDUCTING RESEARCH
● Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of
different aspects of a topic.
CREDIBILITY, RELIABILITY, VALIDITY OF SOURCES
● Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from
print and digital sources; take notes and categorize information, and provide a list of
sources.
RANGE OF WRITING
● Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and
revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of
discipline-specific tasks, purposes and audiences.
4th GRADE
OPINION/ARGUMENT
Write opinion pieces on topics or texts.
FOCUS
● Introduce the topic and state an opinion on the topic.
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Introduce a topic or text for the intended audience, state an opinion and create an
organizational structure in which related ideas are grouped to support the writer’s purpose.
Introduce text(s) for the intended audience, state a topic, and create an organizational
structure in which related ideas are logically grouped to support the writer’s purpose.
CONTENT
● Provide reasons that are supported by facts and details.
○
○
Provide reasons that are supported by facts and details.
Develop the analysis using a variety of evidence from text(s) to support claims, opinions, and
inferences.
ORGANIZATION
● Create an organizational structure that includes related ideas grouped to support
the writer’s purpose and linked in a logical order with a concluding statement or
section related to the opinion.
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Introduce a topic or text for the intended audience, state an opinion, and create an
organizational structure in which related ideas are grouped to support the writer’s purpose.
Link an opinion and reasons using words and phrases (e.g., for instance, in order to, in
addition).
Provide a concluding statement or section related to the opinion presented.
Link ideas within categories of information using words and phrases (e.g. another, for
example, also, because).
Provide a concluding statement or section related to the analysis presented.
STYLE
●
Choose words and phrases to convey ideas precisely.
○
○
○
○
Choose words and phrases to convey ideas precisely.
Choose punctuation for effect.
Choose words and phrases for effect.
Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
CONVENTIONS
● Demonstrate a grade appropriate command of the conventions of standard English
grammar and spelling
○
See Conventions Benchmarks
RESPONSE TO LITERATURE
● Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis,
reflection, and research, applying grade level reading standards for literature and
informational texts.
○
○
Introduce text(s) for the intended audience, state a topic, and create an organizational
structure in which related ideas are logically grouped to support the writer’s purpose.
Develop the analysis using a variety of evidence from text(s) to support claims, opinions, and
inferences.
○
○
○
Link ideas within categories of information using words and phrases (e.g. another, for
example, also, because).
Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
Provide a concluding statement or section related to the analysis presented.
PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF WRITING
● With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing
as needed by planning, revising, and editing.
TECHNOLOGY AND PUBLICATION
● With some guidance and support, use technology, including the Internet, to produce
and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate
sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of one page in a single
sitting.
CONDUCTING RESEARCH
● Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of
different aspects of a topic.
CREDIBILITY, RELIABILITY, VALIDITY OF SOURCES
● Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from
print and digital sources; take notes and categorize information, and provide a list of
sources.
RANGE OF WRITING
● Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and
revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of
discipline-specific tasks, purposes and audiences.
4th GRADE
NARRATIVE
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events.
FOCUS
● Orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a narrator and/or
characters.
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Orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a narrator and/or characters;
organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally to support the writer’s purpose; establish
a controlling point.
CONTENT
● Use dialogue and descriptions to develop experiences and events or show the
responses of characters to situations; use concrete words and phrases and sensory
details to convey experiences and events precisely.
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Use narrative techniques such as dialogue and description to develop experiences and
events or to show the responses of characters to situations.
Use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences and events
precisely.
ORGANIZATION
● Organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally using a variety of transitional
words and phrases to manage the sequence of events; provide a conclusion that
follows from the narrated experiences and events.
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○
○
Orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a narrator and/or characters;
organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally to support the writer’s purpose; establish
a controlling point.
Use a variety of transitional words and phrases to manage the sequence of events.
Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events.
STYLE
●
Choose words and phrases to convey ideas precisely.
○
○
○
Choose words and phrases to convey ideas precisely.
Choose punctuation for effect.
Choose words and phrases for effect.
CONVENTIONS
● Demonstrate a grade appropriate command of the conventions of standard English
grammar and spelling
○
See Conventions Benchmarks
RESPONSE TO LITERATURE
● Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis,
reflection, and research, applying grade level reading standards for literature and
informational texts.
○
○
Introduce text(s) for the intended audience, state a topic, and create an organizational
structure in which related ideas are logically grouped to support the writer’s purpose.
Develop the analysis using a variety of evidence from text(s) to support claims, opinions, and
inferences.
○
○
○
Link ideas within categories of information using words and phrases (e.g. another, for
example, also, because).
Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
Provide a concluding statement or section related to the analysis presented.
PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF WRITING
● With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing
as needed by planning, revising, and editing.
TECHNOLOGY AND PUBLICATION
● With some guidance and support, use technology, including the Internet, to produce
and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate
sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of one page in a single
sitting.
CONDUCTING RESEARCH
● Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of
different aspects of a topic.
CREDIBILITY, RELIABILITY, VALIDITY OF SOURCES
● Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from
print and digital sources; take notes and categorize information, and provide a list of
sources.
RANGE OF WRITING
● Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and
revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of
discipline-specific tasks, purposes and audiences.
BENCHMARKS FOR WRITING CONVENTIONS
KINDERGARTEN
● Capitalize fist word in a sentence and pronoun I.
● Recognize and use end punctuation.
● Spell simple words phonetically.
1st GRADE
● Capitalize dates and names of people.
● Use end punctuation; use commas in dates and words in series.
● Spell words drawing on common spelling patterns, phonemic awareness and
spelling conventions.
2nd GRADE
● Capitalize proper nouns.
● Use commas and apostrophes appropriately.
● Spell words drawing on common spelling patterns.
● Consult reference material as needed.
3rd GRADE
● Explain the function of nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs in general
and their functions in particular sentences.
● Form and use regular and irregular plural nouns.
● Use abstract nouns (e.g. childhood).
● Form and use regular and irregular verbs.
● Form and use the simple (e.g. I walked; I walk; I will walk) verb tenses.
● Ensure subject-verb and pronoun antecedent agreement.
● Form and use comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs, and choose
between them depending on what is to be modified.
● Use coordinating and subordinating conjunctions.
● Produce simple, compound, and complex sentences.
● Capitalize appropriate words in titles.
● Use commas in addresses.
● Use commas and quotation marks in dialogue.
● Form and use possessives.
● Use conventional spelling for high-frequency and other studied words and for
adding suffixes to base words (e.g. sitting, smiled, cries, happiness)
● Use spelling patterns and generalizations (e.g. word families, position-based
spellings, syllable patterns, ending rules, meaningful word parts) in writing words.
4th GRADE
● Use relative pronouns (e.g., who, whose, whom, which, that) and relative adverbs
(e.g., where, when, why).
● For and use the progressive (e.g., I was walking; I am walking; I will be walking)
verb tenses.
● Use modal auxiliaries (e.g., can, may, must) to convey various conditions.
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Order adjectives within sentences according to conventional patterns (e.g., a small
red bag rather than a red small bag).
Form and use prepositional phrases.
Produce complete sentences, recognizing and correcting inappropriate fragments
and run-on sentences.
Correctly use frequently confused words (e.g., to, too, two; there, their, they’re).
Ensure subject-verb and pronoun antecedent agreement.
Use correct capitalization.
Use commas and quotation marks to mark direct speech and quotations from a text.
Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction in a compound sentence.
Spell grade-appropriate words correctly.
5th GRADE
● Explain the function of conjunctions, prepositions, and interjections in general and
their function in particular sentences.
● Form and use the perfect (e.g., I had walked; I have walked; I will have walked) verb
tenses.
● Use verb tense to convey various times, sequences, states, and conditions.
● Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in verb tense.
● Use correlative conjunctions (e.g., either/or, neither/nor).
● Produce complete sentences, recognizing and correcting inappropriate fragments
and run-on sentences.
● Correctly use frequently confused words (e.g., to, too, two; there, their, they’re).
● Ensure subject-verb and pronoun-antecedent agreement.
● Use punctuation to separate items in a series.
● Use a comma to separate an introductory element from the rest of the sentence.
● Use a comma to set off the words yes and no (e.g., Yes, thank you), to set off a tag
questions from the rest of the sentence (e.g., It’s true, isn’t it?), and to indicate direct
address (e.g., Is that you, Steve?).
● Use underlining, quotation marks, or italics to indicate titles of works.
● Spell grade-appropriate words correctly.
6th GRADE
● Ensure that pronouns are in the proper case (i.e., subjective, objective, possessive).
● Use intensive pronouns (e.g., myself, ourselves).
● Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in pronoun number and person.
● Recognize and correct vague pronouns (i.e., ones with unclear or ambiguous
antecedents).
● Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in verb tense.
● Produce complete sentences, recognizing and correcting inappropriate fragments
and run-on sentences.
● Correctly use frequently confused words (e.g., to, too, two; there, their, they’re).
● Ensure subject-verb and pronoun-antecedent agreement.
● Use punctuation (e.g., commas, parentheses, dashes) to set off nonrestrictive/
parenthetical elements.
● Spell correctly.
● Use punctuation to separate items in series.