Related CA Standard
WC 1.1, 1.2, 1.3
Standard: L 4.1
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
a, Use interrogative relative pronouns (who, whose, whom, which, that) and relative adverbs (where, when, why).
b. Form and use the progressive (e.g. I was walking; I am walking; I will be walking) verb tenses.
c. Use modal auxiliaries (e.g., can, may, must) to convey various conditions.
d. Order adjectives within sentences according to conventional patterns (e.g., a small red bag rather than a red small bag)
e. Form and use prepositional phrases.
Essential Skills/Concepts
In writing and speaking use correctly:
 Interrogative relative pronouns
 relative adverbs
 progressive verb tenses
 modal auxiliaries
 order of adjectives in a sentence
 prepositional phrases
Teaching Notes/Strategies
Resources
Board Language
Parts of Speech chart
PDIM on each skill
Systematic ELD Binder lessons on these
standards
Anchor charts
Living Charts
Partner practice using interrogative
relative pronouns
Internet resources of practice pages
Related CA Standard
WC 1.1, 1.2, 1.3
Standard: L 4.1 continued
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
f. Produce complete sentences, recognizing and correcting inappropriate fragments and run-ons.*
g. Correctly use frequently confused words (e.g., to, too, two; there, their).*
h. Write fluidly and legibly in cursive or joined italics.
Essential Skills/Concepts
Recognize and correct fragments
and run-ons.
Teaching Notes/Strategies
Board Language
PDIM on complete sentences
Recognize/Write in complete
sentences
Writing process—revise and edit
Spell correctly frequently confused
words/homophones (see above)
Peer review of own writing for
complete sentences and legibility
Know correct formation of curved or
joined italic letters
Mentor text
Practice adding, deleting,
Write fluidly and legible in cursive or consolidating sentences to correct
joined italics
fragments and run-ons in isolation, in
other’s writing, and in own writing.
Anchor charts
Living Charts
Oral practice of writing
Cloze sentence practice to use
correct homophone
Resources
Internet resources of practice pages
on complete sentences
List of frequently confused words in
spelling
Cursive practice pages
Alphabet cursive letter posters
Related CA Standard
WC 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, WS 1.6, 1.7
Standard: L 4.2
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
a.
b.
c.
d.
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, consulting references as needed.
Essential Skills/Concepts
Teaching Notes/Strategies
Know capitalization rules (all)
Board Language
Know how to use these punctuation
marks correctly:
 Commas in quotations
 Commas in coordinating
conjunctions
 Quotation marks in direct
speech
PDIM on each skill
Know how to look up words in a
glossary, dictionary, to spell
correctly.
Practice skills in isolation, in other’s
writing, and in own writing.
Spell grade-appropriate words
correctly, using references as
needed.
Writing process—edit
Peer edit of own writing
Mentor text
Anchor charts
Smart Books with text-lifts showing
proper use of punctuation marks
Resources
PUSD High Frequency Word List
through grade 4 to spell
Personal dictionaries/regular
dictionaries
Posters of capitalization, comma, and
quotation rules
Standard: L 4.3
Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
Related CA Standard
N/A
a. Choose words and phrases to convey ideas precisely.*
b. Choose punctuation for effect.*
c. Differentiate between contexts that call for formal English (e.g., presenting ideas) and situations where informal
discourse is appropriate (e.g., small-group discussion).
Essential Skills/Concepts
Teaching Notes/Strategies
Resources
Know how to use a thesaurus.
Mentor text
Thesaurus (student-friendly)
In writing, speaking, reading, and
listening:
Text-lift in Smart Book
Bank of topics to discuss in
formal/informal English


Know how to choose
words/phrases (synonyms) to
be more precise .
Know how punctuation can
change the effectiveness of
the written message.

Know the difference between
formal and informal English.

Recognize when
formal/informal English should
be used.
Collaborative conversations using
formal/informal English
Writing process—revise/edit
Peer review
Student conversations using
sentence stems to practice
formal/informal English
List of informal vs. formal words (i.e.
“Hey” vs. “Hello”)
Related CA Standard
RW 1.4, 1.5, WS 1.6, 1.7
Standard: L4. 4
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 4 reading and content,
choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
a, Use context (e.g., definitions, examples, or restatements in text) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
b, Use common, grade-appropriate Greek and Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g. telegraph,
photograph, autograph).
c. Consult reference materials (e.g. dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital to find the pronunciation
and determine or clarify the precise meaning of key words and phrases and to identify alternate word choices in all content
areas
Essential Skills/Concepts
Use monitor/clarify strategies to
determine meaning of multiplemeaning words/phrases
Use context clues to determine the
meaning of a word or phrase
including:
 Definitions
 Examples
 Restatements
Use Greek/Latin roots/affixes to
determine the meaning of words
Use reference materials (print and
digital) to find pronunciations or
precise meanings of words/phrases
including:
 Dictionaries
 Glossaries
 thesauruses
Teaching Notes/Strategies
Anchor chart of monitor/clarify
strategies
Resources
Thesauruses
Dictionaries
PDIM of context clues and
monitor/clarify
Glossaries
Highlighting text
Greek/Latin roots/affixes charts
Board Language
(See companion Standards RL 4.4
and RI 4.4)
Text-lift in Smart Books
Anchor/Living charts of Greek/Latin
Roots
“Book of Lists”
Related CA Standard
RW 1.2, RL 3.5
Standard: L 4.5
Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
a. Explain the meaning of simple similes and metaphors (e.g. as pretty as a picture) in context
b. Recognize and explain the meaning of common idioms, adages and proverbs.
c. Demonstrate understanding of word by relating them to their opposites (antonyms) and to word with similar but not
identical meanings (synonyms).
Essential Skills/Concepts
Know the difference between literal
and figurative meanings of words
Identify and explain the meaning of
simple similes and metaphors in
context
Identify and explain the meaning of
common idioms, adages (common sayings
e.g., “The early bird gets the worm”), and
proverbs (give advice e.g., “Two wrongs
don’t make a right.”)
Identify and explain word meanings
by relating them to synonyms and
antonyms
Teaching Notes/Strategies
Vocabulary circle maps
PDIM on similes, metaphors, idioms,
adages, proverbs
Living charts
Anchor Charts
Smart Tabs/Text Lifts for each
type of figurative language
Resources
Lists of idioms, similes, metaphors,
adages, proverbs, synonyms,
antonyms
“Book of Lists”
(See companion standards of RL 4.4
and RI 4.4)
Related CA Standard
N/A
Standard: L 4.6
Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that
signal precise actions, emotions, or states of being (e.g., quizzed, whined, stammered) and that are basic to a particular topic
(e.g., wildlife, conservation, and endangered when discussing animal preservation).
Essential Skills/Concepts
Develop and use grade-appropriate
academic words
Develop and use grade-appropriate
domain-specific words basic to 4th
grade topics such as California
History, Electricity, etc.
Develop and use precise language to
describe actions, emotions, or states
of being (e.g., quizzed, whined,
stammered)
Teaching Notes/Strategies
Monitor/clarify when reading text
with domain-specific language to
determine meaning
Writing process (revise) to use more
precise language
Use a thesaurus to develop more
precise language
Living Charts of academic words
Living Charts of domain-specific
words
Living Charts of synonyms with more
precise verbs, etc. (e.g., walked vs.
sprinted)
Smart Books with Vocab tab
Resources
Non-fiction textbooks to acquire
domain-specific language
Thesaurus to look up more precise
words when writing
(See companion standards of RL 4.4
and RI 4.4)