4th Grade

Reading

• Choose books they can read independently for a sustained period of time (TEKS 4.5A)
• Read with the intention of sharing with a partner (TEKS 4.6A & 4.6G)

Fiction

• Study details to see characters beyond the surface and outgrow initial ideas, paying attention to how they change and they act in different situations (TEKS 4.8B)
• Making thoughtful predictions that are grounded in text evidence (TEKS 4.6C)
• Retell and synthesize stories to cement comprehension (TEKS 4.7D)
• Use envisionment to see and hear inside the text (TEKS 4.6C)
• Notice important details in the rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution(TEKS 4.8C)
• Understand author’s craft and find meaning in recurring details, images, and objects (TEKS 4.10C & 4.10D)
• Debate ideas about the text’s message and ground evidence back in the text (TEKS 4.10A)

Nonfiction

• Notice details and ask questions while reading (TEKS 4.6G & 4.6B)
• Synthesize what is being read to prepare to teach about a topic (TEKS 4.6H)
• Use text features and other clues to determine main ideas (TEKS 4.10C & 4.9Di)
• Study the information presented to make inferences (TEKS 4.6F)
• Analyze the author’s perspective (TEKS 4.10A)

Writing 

Correspondence (4.12D)

• Write letters to important people about what we are reading (TEKS 4.12D)

Narrative (TEKS 4.12A)

• Think, plan, and write using drama to bring to life characters with real wants and troubles that matter (TEKS 4.11A & 4.11B)
• Revise using a variety of strategies such as telling important parts, bit by bit (TEKS 4.11C)
• Use mentor texts to draft several endings to choose from (TEKS 4.11C)

Information (TEKS 4.12B)

• Write with the purpose of teaching, adding details (TEKS 4.11A & 4.11B)
• Revise by reading their own writing through the eyes of a stranger (TEKS 4.11C)
• Organize ideas into chapters while balancing facts with thinking (TEKS 4.11B)
• Review editing strategies they already know and learn new ones (TEKS 4.11D)

Essays (TEKS 4.12C)

• Generate ideas and use elaboration prompts to grow them (TEKS 4.11A)
• Organize ideas and build a cohesive draft (TEKS 4.11B)
• Revise their work with clear goals in mind (TEKS 4.11C)
• Connect evidence, reason, and thesis while moving from personal to persuasive essays (TEKS 4.11B)
• TEKS http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter110/ch110a.html#110.6l

GRAMMAR

English

• Quotation Marks with Dialogue (4.11D.x)
• Simple Sentences (4.11Di)
• Use of Singular, plural, common and proper nouns (4.11D.iii)
• Complete Sentences with Subject-Verb Agreement (4.11D.i)

Spanish

• Proper Nouns (4.11Di)
• Past Verb Stress (4.11Dii)
• Dialogue (4.11Dx)
• Contractions ‘del’ & ‘al’ (4.11Dvi)

• English Language Arts TEKS: https://tea.texas.gov/sites/default/files/Vertical%20alignment__K-12_English_06-2019.pdf
• Spanish Language Arts TEKS: https://tea.texas.gov/sites/default/files/Vertical%20alignment_K-12_Spanish_06-2019.pdf

Questions to ask your child (Reading and Writing):

• What do you love about [specific book]?
• What goal are you currently working towards reading and writing at school?
• Based on what we just read, what do you think might happen next?
• Why do you think [character] did that? How do you know?
• Tell me about [character] journey? How and why did they change?
• What is most important here? How do you know?
• What is something new you learned while reading [book]?
• What can you teach me about [topic]?
• Why do you think the author chose to write about it?

How can I help my child learn at home?

• Help your child build time in their routine for daily reading.
• Visit the public library to allow your child to access a variety of books based on their interests.
• Read stories together and engage in deep conversations about a character’s journey and the author’s intentions. Create theories and test them against new text evidence.
• Inquire about what they have learned through reading nonfiction texts. Encourage your child to dig deeper into the topics of interest and use what they have learned to create theories and discuss them.

Math

• Model the value of whole numbers and decimals using expanded notation. (TEKS 4.2B)
• Explain that when you move to the right on the place value chart, the values are getting ten times smaller; when you move to the left on a place value chart, the values are getting ten times larger. (TEKS 4.2A)
• Represent decimals using objects or a picture. (TEKS 4.2E)
• Locate a decimal on a number line. (TEKS 4.2H)
• Compare and order whole numbers up to a billion and decimals to the hundredths place using >, <, or =. (TEKS 4.2C)
• Compare and order decimals using a model. (TEKS 4.2F)
• Show how decimals and  fractions are related.  (TEKS 4.2G)
• Locate a fraction or decimal on a number line. (TEKS 4.3G)
• Round whole numbers to a given place value through the hundred thousands place. (4.2D)
• Round numbers to estimate solutions to math problems (TEKS 4.4G)
• Use compatible numbers to estimate solutions to math problems (TEKS 4.4G)
• Add and subtract decimals and whole numbers (TEKS 4.4A)
• Represent multi-step problems with strip diagrams and equations (TEKS 4.5A)
• TEKS http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter111/ch111a.html#111.6

Questions to ask your child (Math):

• Will the digit “0” affect the value of a number? When?
• How would  comparing decimals be helpful in the real world?
• How does understanding what is happening in the problem help you to solve the problem? 
• How does estimation help you see  if your answer makes sense?

How can I help my child learn at home?

• Use sale ads from various stores to compare the prices of items or have your child compare the prices of two similar items at the store to determine what is a better deal.
• Have your child create a “wish-list” of items they would want to purchase. Have them find the total cost of the items. Then, propose situations for paying for the items and ask your child how much change they would receive. 
• For example, if your child wants to purchase items totaling $32.51 ask them how much change they would receive if they paid with $40.

Science

• Investigate how producers use sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to make their own food, and how consumers depend upon other organisms for food. (TEKS 4.9A)
• Explain how energy flows through a food web including the Sun as the beginning, and demonstrate how changes inside an ecosystem affect the food web. (TEKS 4.9B)
• Investigate how the structures and functions of organisms aid in their survival in their habitat. (TEKS 4.10A)
• TEKS http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter112/ch112a.html#112.15

Questions to ask your child (Science):

• What is the difference between producers and consumers?
• How does energy flow from a plant to a rabbit? 
• How do external structures and functions help organisms survive in their environments?

How can I help my child learn at home?

• Have your child investigate how producers create their own food and how consumers rely on other organisms as their food. 
• Explain how energy flows in a food web and starts with the Sun, and describe how changes in the ecosystem can impact the food web
• Have your child investigate how the structures and functions of an organism aid in their survival in an ecosystem. 

Social Studies 

• Understand the origins, similarities, and differences of American Indian groups in Texas before European exploration (TEKS 4.1B, 4.1C, 4.1D)
• Understand the four geographic regions of Texas (TEKS 4.6A, 4.6B)
• Understand why people settle where they do; why settlements were begun in certain locations and what helped caused them to grow; what was the impact of that settlement and growth (TEKS 4.7A, 4.7B, 4.8A, 4.8B)
• Identify the importance of the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights (Celebrate Freedom Week) (TEKS 4.13C)
• TEKS https://texreg.sos.state.tx.us/public/readtac$ext.ViewTAC?tac_view=5&ti=19&pt=2&ch=113&sch=A&rl=Y

Questions to ask your child (Social Studies):

• What have you learned about the Native Americans in Texas?
• What are the four regions of Texas? In which region do we live?
• How have the geographic regions of Texas influenced settlement and way of life?
• How have humans adapted to and modified their environments?
• How did geography and local resources affect the Native American groups in Texas?
• What is the importance of The Constitution?

How can I help my child learn at home?

• Make a list of plants and animals that are common and rare for your region. Using the web, look for images of these plants and animals. What plants or animals on that list has your student observed?
• Celebrate Freedom Week is in September and Constitution Day is September 17. Share with your student what freedom means to you and discuss why the Constitution is such an important document for our country.

English Learner/Emergent Bilingual students

Overview:

 If this is the first time your child attends a Texas school, the first nine weeks will be the time your child becomes accustomed to the new environment as they learn.

How does the school know that my child is an English Learner/Emergent Bilingual student?

When you register your child in school for the first time, you are asked to fill out a home language survey that asks two specific questions: (1) What language is spoken in the child’s home most of the time? and (2) What language does the child speak most of the time? If the survey indicates that your child speaks a language other than English and/or the home language is other than English, he/she will then be tested at the Multilingual Department’s Welcome Center. If the assessment indicates that your child is not yet proficient in English, the Language Proficiency Assessment Committee (LPAC) will make a program recommendation for your child.

How will my child learn English?

Dual Language programs are designed to make grade-level academic content accessible to English learners through the development of literacy and academic skills in the child’s primary language and English. English as a Second Language program (ESL) targets English language development, including listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills, through academic content instruction that is linguistically and culturally responsive.

Questions to ask your child?

• What was one interesting thing you did at school today?

• Who did you sit with during lunchtime?

• Who did you talk to the most today?

• What is your homework for today?

How may I support my child?

• Encourage your child to use a bilingual dictionary.

• Encourage your child to read daily in his /her home language and/or English. In the primary grades, read to/with your child.

• Schedule time every day for your child to do homework.

Resources:

Parent Guide: https://educationnorthwest.org/sites/default/files/resources/parent-guide-el-english.pdf

U.S. Department of Education - English Learner Tool Kit: https://ncela.ed.gov/files/family_toolkit/EL-Family-Tool-Kit-All.pdf

U.S. Department of Education - Especially for Parents: https://www2.ed.gov/parents/landing.jhtml?src=pn

Supporting English Learners in Texas: 

https://www.txel.org/Parents-And-Families

Reading

• Choose books they can read independently for a sustained period of time (TEKS 4.5A)
• Read with the intention of sharing with a partner (TEKS 4.6A & 4.6G)

Fiction

• Study details to see characters beyond the surface and outgrow initial ideas, paying attention to how they change and they act in different situations (TEKS 4.8B)
• Making thoughtful predictions that are grounded in text evidence (TEKS 4.6C)
• Retell and synthesize stories to cement comprehension (TEKS 4.7D) 

Nonfiction

• Notice details and ask questions while reading (TEKS 4.6G & 4.6B)
• Synthesize what is being read to prepare to teach about a topic (TEKS 4.6H)
• Use text features and other clues to determine main ideas (TEKS 4.10C & 4.9Di)
• Study the information presented to make inferences (TEKS 4.6F)
• Analyze the author’s perspective (TEKS 4.10A) 

Writing  

Information (TEKS 4.12B)

• Write with the purpose of teaching, adding details (TEKS 4.11A & 4.11B)
• Revise by reading their own writing through the eyes of a stranger (TEKS 4.11C)
• Organize ideas into chapters while balancing facts with thinking (TEKS 4.11B)
• Review editing strategies they already know and learn new ones (TEKS 4.11D)

Essays (TEKS 4.12C)

• Generate ideas and use elaboration prompts to grow them (TEKS 4.11A)
• Organize ideas and build a cohesive draft (TEKS 4.11B)
• Revise their work with clear goals in mind (TEKS 4.11C)
• Connect evidence, reason, and thesis while moving from personal to persuasive essays (TEKS 4.11B)

GRAMMAR

English 

• Past Tense Irregular Verbs (4.11D.ii)
• Adjectives to tell what kind and how many (4.11D.iv)
• Complex sentences:  using a comma and an and to join two sentences. (4.11D.viii)
• Complex Sentences; Use a comma and but to join two contrasting sentences (4.11D.viii)
• End punctuation, apostrophes in possessives (4.11D.x)

Spanish 

• Adjectives (4.11Div)
• Adverbs using when (4.11Dv)
• Coordinating Conjunctions ‘and’ ‘but’ (4.11Dviii)
• Adversative Conjunctions ‘but’ (4.11Dviii)

• English Language Arts TEKS: https://tea.texas.gov/sites/default/files/Vertical%20alignment__K-12_English_06-2019.pdf
• Spanish Language Arts TEKS: https://tea.texas.gov/sites/default/files/Vertical%20alignment_K-12_Spanish_06-2019.pdf

Questions to ask your child (Reading and Writing):

• What do you love about [specific book]?
• What goal are you currently working towards?
• Based on what we just read, what do you think might happen next?
• Why do you think [character] did that? How do you know?
• Tell me about [character] journey? How and why did they change?
• What is most important here? How do you know?
• What is something new you learned while reading [book]?
• What can you teach me about [topic]?
• Why do you think the author chose to write about it?

How can I help my child learn at home?

• Help your child build time in their routine for daily reading.
• Visit the public library to allow your child to access a variety of books based on their interests.
• Read stories together and engage in deep conversations about a character’s journey and the author’s intentions. Create theories and test them against new text evidence.
• Inquire about what they have learned through reading nonfiction texts. Encourage your child to dig deeper into the topics of interest and use what they have learned to create theories and discuss them.

Math

• Round numbers to estimate solutions to math problems. (TEKS 4.4G)
• Use compatible numbers to estimate solutions to math problems (TEKS 4.4G)
• Solve real-world multiplication problems. (TEKS 4.4H)
• Multiply a number by 10 or 100 using place value understanding. (TEKS 4.4B)
• Represent multiplication of two, 2-digit numbers. (TEKS 4.4C)
• Multiply a four-digit number by a one-digit number and a two-digit number by a two-digit number. (TEKS 4.4D)
• Solve real-world division problems. (TEKS 4.4H)
• Explain what to do with the remainder of a division problem. (TEKS 4.4H)
• Represent the quotient of up to a four-digit number divided by a one-digit number. (TEKS 4.4E)
• Divide a four-digit number by a one-digit number. (TEKS 4.4F)
• Represent multi-step problems with a strip diagram and an equation. (TEKS 4.5A)
• TEKS http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter111/ch111a.html#111.6

Questions to ask your child (Math):

• Why do we sometimes have remainders in division problems? Why is the remainder important?
• When might one estimation strategy, e.g. rounding or compatible numbers, be more beneficial than another?
• Which strategy is your favorite for solving multiplication/division problems? Why?

How can I help my child learn at home?

• Have your child estimate the grocery bill for different hypothetical scenarios (use whole numbers only). For example, what would the grocery bill be for a family twice the size of ours?
• Have your child practice reasoning through what to do with a remainder in real-world scenarios. For example, if baking cookies how many would each family member get? What would you do with the extra cookies and why?

Science

• Explain the difference between inherited traits and learning behavior, and provided examples. (TEKS 4.10B)
• Illustrate and compare life cycles in living organisms such as beetles, crickets, radishes, or lima beans. (4.10C)
• Explore the properties of soils, including color and texture, capacity to retain water and ability to support the growth of plants (TEKS 4.7A)
• Observe and identify slow changes to the Earth's surface caused by weathering, erosion, and deposition from water, wind, and ice (TEKS 4.7B)
• Identify and classify Earth's renewable resources, including air, plants, water, and animals; and nonrenewable resources including coal, oil, natural gas, and the importance of conservation (TEKS 4.7C)
• TEKS http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter112/ch112a.html#112.15

Questions to ask your child (Science):

• Which characteristics do organisms inherit from their parents and which are learned?
• What discoveries can we make about the life cycles of various organisms?
• What are some observable properties of soil?
• What are the effects of weathering, erosion, and deposition on the Earth’s surface?

How can I help my child learn at home?

• Explain the difference between inherited traits and learned behaviors. (inherited - hair color, learned - learning to walk)
• Have your child draw and compare the life cycles of various organisms
• Investigate and explain how landforms are forms 

Social Studies 

• Understand the reasons and results of people exploring and settling in Texas (TEKS 4.2A, 4.2B)
• Explain when, where, and why the Spanish established settlements and Catholic missions in Texas; identify Texas' role in the Mexican War of Independence; and identify the accomplishments of empresarios, including Stephen F. Austin and Martín de León (TEKS 4.2C, 4.2D, 4.2E)
• Analyze the causes, major events, and effects of the Texas Revolution (TEKS 4.3A)
• TEKS https://texreg.sos.state.tx.us/public/readtac$ext.ViewTAC?tac_view=5&ti=19&pt=2&ch=113&sch=A&rl=Y

Questions to ask your child (Social Studies):

• What motivated exploration and colonization of Texas?
• What drove the Spanish to build missions in Texas 100 years after their exploration?
• What motivated the empresarios to create settlements in Texas? 

How can I help my child learn at home?

• Share with your student your family’s history and how they ended up in Houston, Texas.

English Learner/Emergent Bilingual Students

Overview:

Your child is becoming comfortable with Texas schools. The focus is now developing his/her English and supporting him/her to learn the core content.

How will my child learn English?

During this time, your child’s teacher is providing strategies in the classroom in order to help with Second Language Acquisition. Teachers report the strategies and linguistic accommodations they provide for the students in order to help the students be successful in acquiring the English language. 

Questions to ask your child?

• What did you learn in your_____ class?

• How did you ask for help?

• Who did you talk to the most in your classes?

• What is your homework for today?

How may I support my child?

• Check out books including audiobooks in English or in their home language from public libraries.

• Encourage your child to read and/or listen to audiobooks daily.

• Be sure to attend parent-teacher conferences scheduled by your child’s school.

• Schedule time every day for your child to do homework.

Resources

Parent Guide: https://educationnorthwest.org/sites/default/files/resources/parent-guide-el-english.pdf

The 50 Best ESL Resources for Kids:   http://www.studentguide.org/the-50-best-esl-resources-for-kids/

Colorín Colorado (bilingual website):  http://www.colorincolorado.org/

PBS Kids http://pbskids.org/

Unite for Literacy: https://www.uniteforliteracy.com/

Supporting English Learners in Texas: 

https://www.txel.org/Parents-And-Families

Reading

Informational & Research

• Understand how print and graphic features help accentuate what matters on the text (TEKS 4.10C)
• Tackle the challenges of hybrid texts (more than one genre in one) (TEKS 4.9F)
• Summarize texts to self-assess learning and engage in collaborative conversations (TEKS 4.7D)
• Synthesize contradictory information across texts (TEKS 4.6H)
• Read and think about two topics to compare and contrast (TEKS 4.9F)
• Ask questions to push thinking and write to capture it (TEKS 4.6B & 4.13B)
• Consider authors’ point of view when evaluating sources (TEKS 4.13C & 4.13D)

 Writing 

• Information (TEKS 4.12B)
• Write with the purpose of teaching, adding details (TEKS 4.11A & 4.11B)
• Revise by reading their own writing through the eyes of a stranger (TEKS 4.11C)
• Organize ideas into chapters while balancing facts with thinking (TEKS 4.11B)
• Review editing strategies they already know and learn new ones (TEKS 4.11D)
• Opinion (TEKS 4.12C)
• Shift their judging into writing and elaborate on their opinions (TEKS 4.11B)
• Persuade and hook the reader with convincing reasons for reviews (TEKS 4.11B)
• Study mentor texts to revise writing in bold ways (TEKS 4.11C)
• Literary Essay (TEKS 4.12C)
• Read closely to generate ideas about a text (TEKS 4.11A)
• Find and test a thesis using stories as evidence (TEKS 4.11A)
• Drafting while keeping in mind beginnings and endings (TEKS 4.11B)

GRAMMAR

English

• Use of Pronouns including Indefinites (4.11D.vii)
• Use of Capitalization (Historical periods, events, documents; titles of books & stories; essays; language) (4.11D.ix)
• Comparative Adjectives( 4.11D.iv)
• Superlative Adjectives (4.11D.iv)
• Use of Conjunctions (4.11D.viii)

Spanish

• Capitalization of Book or Movie Titles (4.11Dviii)
• Comparative Adjectives (4.11Div)
• Superlative Adjectives (4.11Div)
• Subordinating Conjunctions and Complex Sentences (4.11Dx)

• English Language Arts TEKS: https://tea.texas.gov/sites/default/files/Vertical%20alignment__K-12_English_06-2019.pdf
• Spanish Language Arts TEKS: https://tea.texas.gov/sites/default/files/Vertical%20alignment_K-12_Spanish_06-2019.pdf

Questions to ask your child (Reading and Writing):

• What is most important here? How do you know?
• What is something new you learned while reading [book]?
• What can you teach me about [topic]?
• Why do you think the author chose to write about it?
• What have you learned so far about [topic]?
• Which texts were most helpful? Why?
• What is the author trying to say? How do you know?

How can I help my child learn at home? 

• Inquire about what they have learned through reading nonfiction texts. Encourage your child to dig deeper into the topics of interest and use what they have learned to create theories and discuss them.
• Allow your child to teach you about the topic being researched. Help them practice using the new vocabulary and think about the key points they need to hit to ensure effective communication.

Math

• Relate problems using an input and output table (all operations) (TEKS 4.5B)
• Add and subtract decimals and whole numbers (TEKS 4.4A)
• Model multi-step problems with strip diagrams and equations (TEKS 4.5A)
• Use compatible numbers to estimate solutions to math problems (TEKS 4.4G)
• Solve real-world multiplication problems. (TEKS 4.4H)
• Solve perimeter problems. (TEKS 4.5D)
• Solve area problems.  (TEKS 4.5D)
• Use objects or pictures to figure out the formula for area and perimeter.  (TEKS 4.5C)
• Solve measurement problems dealing with length, time, liquid volume, mass, and money.  (TEKS 4.8C)
• Identify real-world examples of measurement units.  (TEKS 4.8A)
• Use a table to convert measurement units.  (TEKS 4.8B)
• Determine if two fractions are equivalent. (TEKS 4.3C)
• Compare two fractions using >, <, or = (TEKS 4.3D)
• Represent and solve problems involving addition and subtraction of fractions with like denominators using objects and pictures (TEKS 4.3E)
• Use objects or pictures to represent a fractional value as the sum of fractions with like denominators (TEKS 4.3A, 4.3B)
• Use benchmark fractions to help determine if an answer is reasonable (TEKS 4.3F)
• Classify two-dimensional shapes based on parallel or perpendicular lines or size of angles. (TEKS 4.6D)
• Identify points, lines, line segments, rays, angles, and perpendicular and parallel lines for two-dimensional shapes. (TEKS 4.6A)
• Identify and draw lines of symmetry for two-dimensional shapes. (TEKS 4.6B)
• Identify acute, right, and obtuse triangles. (TEKS 4.6C)
• Use a protractor to find the measurement of an angle or to draw an angle. (TEKS 4.7C, 4.7D)
• Find the measurement of unknown angles using information about adjacent angles. (TEKS 4.7E)
• Show how an angle is part of a circle by cutting two-line segments to the center of the circle. (TEKS 4.7A)
• Use degrees to show the measurement of the angles in a circle. (TEKS 4.7B)

Questions to ask your child (Math):

• What pattern do you notice? How do you know whether to add or multiply?
• How does understanding what is happening in the problem help you to solve the problem? 
• How does the context of the problem affect the operation you chose? The representation?
• What strategy did you use to compare fractions?
• How do we determine the names of fractional parts?
• How are fractions and decimals similar? Different?
• How are angles classified?
• (Given a set of two-dimensional shapes) How would you classify these shapes? 
• Could they be classified in a different way?

How can I help my child learn at home?

• Have your child look for additive or multiplicative patterns in the real world and create tables that match. For example, 1 chair has 4 legs; 2 chairs have 8 legs.
• While cooking, have your child compare quantities. For example, if a recipe calls for ¾  cup water and ⅝ cup tomato sauce are you using more water or tomato sauce? Ask them to explain how they know.
• Have your child find angles in the real-world and name them as acute, right, or obtuse.
• Give your child pictures of different two-dimensional shapes. Ask them to sort them into groups and explain their reasoning. Ask them if there is a different way they could group the shapes.

Science

• Identify and classify Earth's renewable resources, including air, plants, water, and animals; and nonrenewable resources including coal, oil, natural gas, and the importance of conservation (4.7C)
• Measure, record, and predict changes in the weather (4.8A)
• Explain and illustrate the water cycle and the role the Sun plays as the source of energy for the process. (4.8B)
• Use collected data to identify sequences and predict patterns in seasons, shadows, and the observable appearance of the Moon. (4.8C)
• Measure, compare and contrast the physical properties of matter (temperature, mass, volume, states of matter including solid, liquid, and gas,  magnetism, and the ability to sink or float (4.5A)
• Compare and  contrast a variety of mixtures, including solutions (4.5B)
• http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter112/ch112a.html#112.15

Questions to ask your child (Science):

• How can I classify Earth’s resources?
• How do shadows change during the day? 
• What is the sequence of the Moon’s appearance each month? What pattern do you notice?
• What tools are useful in collecting weather data and how should we record it?
• What is the major source of energy that powers the water cycle and how does it move water through the water cycle?
• What properties can we use to describe objects?  
• What is a mixture?
• What is a solution?

How can I help my child learn at home?

• Have your child classify various Earth’s resources as renewable and nonrenewable.
• Record the appearance of the Moon and make predictions about its appearance
• Have your child record daily weather data and make predictions about the weather
• Explain and illustrate the water cycle and how the Sun plays a role in the process
• Encourage your child to describe objects (matter) by their physical properties
• Explain what a mixture is

Social Studies 

• Understand the causes and effects of the Texas Revolution (TEKS 4.3A, 4.3B)
• Understand how Texas became a republic and then a state. (TEKS 4.3C, 4.3D, 4.3E)
• Understand the impact of the Civil War and Reconstruction on Texas (TEKS 4.4.A)
• TEKS https://texreg.sos.state.tx.us/public/readtac$ext.ViewTAC?tac_view=5&ti=19&pt=2&ch=113&sch=A&rl=Y

Questions to ask your child (Social Studies):

• How did the war affect the relationship between Mexico and Texas? 
• What was the most significant event of the Texas Revolution? Why?https
• Why is the Battle of the Alamo still significant today?
• How was Texas affected by the Civil War?

How can I help my child learn at home?

• Consider some nonfiction reading on Texans from the past.
• If possible, visit places of historical significance in Texas’ history.

English Learner/Emergent Bilingual Students

How will I know when my child has learned academic English? 

Every year, your child will take an assessment called the Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS) to assess his/her English proficiency level in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. When your child meets the criteria for reclassification, he/she will not need to take the TELPAS any more.  However, the school will continue to monitor your child’s progress to make sure he/she is successful at school.

Questions to ask your child?

•  What book are you reading at school?

•  What did you do in your math class?

•  Did you ask for help when you didn’t understand?

• What is your homework for today?

How may I support my child?

TELPAS Parent Tips (English): 

https://tea.texas.gov/sites/default/files/TELPAS_Parent_Tips_English.APPROVED_FORWEB.pdf

TELPAS Parent Tips (Spanish): https://tea.texas.gov/sites/default/files/TELPAS_Parent_Tips_Spanish.APPROVED_FORWEB.pdf

Resources:

Parent Guide: https://educationnorthwest.org/sites/default/files/resources/parent-guide-el-english.pdf

Reading activities in English and Spanish: https://readconmigo.org/parents/activities

Colorín Colorado (bilingual website):  http://www.colorincolorado.org/

Unite for Literacy: https://www.uniteforliteracy.com/

Supporting English Learners in Texas: https://www.txel.org/Parents-And-Families

Reading

Poetry

• Discuss the theme of a poem and support their inference with text evidence (TEKS 4.8A)
• Explore how authors use text structure, print, and graphic features to support the message (TEKS 4.10A & 4.10B & 4.10C)
• Think about how authors use language and imagery to achieve specific purposes (TEKS 4.9B & 4.10D

Historical Fiction

• Notice dates in their books to fit history and characters together (TEKS 4.8D)
• Study how ordinary objects can symbolize big ideas and note different ideas that fit under the same theme (TEKS 4.6H & 4.8A)
• Pay attention to tone, mood, and minor characters to make inferences (TEKS 4.6F)
• Add background information to deepen understanding (TEKS 4.6E)

Informational & Research

• Understand how print and graphic features help accentuate what matters on the text (TEKS 4.10C)
• Tackle the challenges of hybrid texts (more than one genre in one reading selection) (TEKS 4.9F)
• Summarize texts to self-assess learning and engage in collaborative conversations (TEKS 4.7D)
• Synthesize contradictory information across texts (TEKS 4.6H)
• Read and think about two topics to compare and contrast (TEKS 4.9F)
• Ask questions to push thinking and write to capture it (TEKS 4.6B & 4.13B)
• Consider the authors’ point of view when evaluating sources (TEKS 4.13C & 4.13D)

 Writing 

Poetry (TEKS 4.12A)

• Write meaningful poems that contain content they care about (TEKS 4.11B)
• Use meaningful figurative language and small details to craft poems that strike the reader with emotion (TEKS 4.11B)
• Use revision strategies learned in other units to revise their poems (TEKS 4.11C)

Opinion (TEKS 4.12C)

• Shift their judging into writing and elaborate on their opinions (TEKS 4.11B)
• Persuade and hook the reader with convincing reasons for reviews (TEKS 4.11B)
• Study mentor texts to revise writing in bold ways (TEKS 4.11C)

Literary Essay (TEKS 4.12C)

• Read closely to generate ideas about a text (TEKS 4.11A)
• Find and test a thesis using stories as evidence (TEKS 4.11A)
• Drafting while keeping in mind beginnings and endings (TEKS 4.11B)

GRAMMAR

English

• Coordinating Conjunctions;  to join two sentences (4.11D.viii)
• Coordinating Conjunctions to form compound subjects; (4.11D.viii)
• Coordinating Conjunctions to form compound predicates; (4.11D.viii)
• Prepositions and prepositional phrases (4.11D.vi)

Spanish 

• Adjectives (4.11Div)
• Conjunction ‘or’ (4.11Dviii)
• Conjunction ‘neither’ ‘nor’ (4.11Dviii)
• Irregular Verbs (4.11Dii)

• English Language Arts TEKS: https://tea.texas.gov/sites/default/files/Vertical%20alignment__K-12_English_06-2019.pdf
• Spanish Language Arts TEKS: https://tea.texas.gov/sites/default/files/Vertical%20alignment_K-12_Spanish_06-2019.pdf

Questions to ask your child (Reading and Writing):

• What is the author trying to say? How do you know?
• What do you see/imagine when you read this part?
• How was [setting] at the time of this story different from today?
• How would the outcome of this story be different if it took place in the present time?
• Could the story have ended any other way?
• What message does this story teach about life?
• What have you learned so far about [topic]?
• Which texts were most helpful? Why?
• What is the author trying to say? How do you know?

How can I help my child learn at home?

• Read together a variety of poems. Discuss the structural features you notice and how the author uses them to evoke feelings and create meaning.
• Analyze how the historical environment helps the story move forward. Discuss the possible reasons behind the author’s decision to have that specific time and place as the setting.
• Allow your child to teach you about the topic being researched. Help them practice using the new vocabulary and think about the key points they need to hit to ensure effective communication.

Math

• Classify two-dimensional figures based on the presence or absence of parallel, perpendicular lines or the presence or absence of angles of a specified size. (TEKS 4.6C)
• Apply knowledge of right angles to identify acute, right, and obtuse triangles. (TEKS 4.6D)
• Represent data on a frequency table.  (TEKS 4.9A)
• Represent data on a dot plot. (TEKS 4.9A)
• Represent data on a stem-and-leaf plot. (TEKS 4.9A)
• Solve problems using data from a frequency table, dot plot, or stem-and-leaf plot. (TEKS 4.9B)
• Explain the difference between fixed and variable expenses. (TEKS 4.10A)
• Explain the purpose of a bank. (TEKS 4.10E)
• Explain the advantages and disadvantages of the different options for saving money (TEKS 4.10C)
• Explain how to use weekly allowance money to include saving money (TEKS 4.10D)
• Calculate profit (TEKS 4.10B)

Questions to ask your child (Math):

• What is the relationship between a right angle and an acute and obtuse angle?
• How are parallel and perpendicular lines alike? Different? 
• When might someone need to convert from one unit of measurement to another?
• What strategies can be used to find perimeter? Area?
• What is the purpose of organizing data in a visual format and how does this help us to better understand data and solve problems?
• What is the difference between a fixed expense and a variable expense?
• How could you use your weekly allowance to save money?

How can I help my child learn at home?

• Have your child look around the house to identify and describe acute, obtuse and right angles. 
• Go outside to see if your child can find examples of parallel and perpendicular lines. 
• Have your child practice finding the area and perimeter of square/rectangular things around the house. 
• For example, finding the area and perimeter of a rectangular tabletop.
• Have your child conduct a survey on a topic that interests them. Then have your child represent the results of the survey using a frequency table, dot plot, or stem-and-leaf-plot.
• Have your child create a plan for using their weekly allowance that includes saving.

Science

• Compare and contrast a variety of mixtures, including solution (TEKS 4.5B)
• Differentiate among forms of energy, including mechanical, sound, electrical, light, and thermal (TEKS 4.6A)
• Differentiate between conductors and insulators of thermal energy (TEKS 4.6B)
• Demonstrate that electricity travels in a closed path, creating an electrical circuit (TEKS 4.6C)
• Design and conduct a descriptive investigation to explore the effect of force on an object such as a push or pull, gravity, friction, or magnetism (TEKS 4.6D)
• TEKS http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter112/ch112a.html#112.15

Questions to ask your child (Science):

• What kind of material can be used as a conductor/an insulator?
• How do electrical conductors and insulators help us?
• How can I explore the effects of forces on an object?
• How can I design an investigation to answer questions I have about forces?

How can I help my child learn at home?

• Work with your child to understand the different forms of energy and the difference between insulators and conductors.
• Design an investigation with your child to explore how forces affect objects.

Social Studies 

• What should my child be working on in the 4th nine weeks of school?
• Understand how the growth of industries, such as cattle and railroads, had a significant effect on the Texas economy and population (TEKS 4.4B, 4.4C)
• Understand the impact of important issues, events, and individuals of the 20th century in Texas(TEKS 4.5A, 4.5B)
• Understand the economic terms such as free enterprise system, supply, demand, and choice  (TEKS 4.10A, 4.10B)
• TEKS https://texreg.sos.state.tx.us/public/readtac$ext.ViewTAC?tac_view=5&ti=19&pt=2&ch=113&sch=A&rl=Y

Questions to ask your child (Social Studies):

• What initiated the cattle drives and what put an end to them?
• How did the landscape and settlement change with the railroad?
• How did the Native American way of life change with more and more settlements?
• What was life like before the discovery of oil in Texas?
• Which industries provided new jobs for Texans during the 1900s?
• How did the economy change after the discovery of oil at Spindletop?
• How did the invention of the automobile help the oil industry?
• Why was the oil boom important to Texas?
• Why is the free enterprise system important?

How can I help my child learn at home?

• Ask your child to bring home their Studies Weekly newspaper so that you can read some of the articles together and discuss them.
• Engage your child in discussions about the free enterprise system. Help them review concepts taught in previous years concerning goods, services, wants, needs, producers, consumers, and scarcity.

English Learner/Emergent Bilingual Students

When your child has met the reclassification criteria, they will no longer receive English language development support (although they will continue to learn English with other students). Teachers will continue to monitor your child’s progress. Please continue to ask the teacher how your child is doing. If your child did not meet the reclassification criteria, he/she will continue to receive English language development support.

Questions to ask your child?

• What book are you reading at school?

• What did you do in your _____ class?

• Did you ask for help when you didn’t understand? Who helped you?

• What is your homework for today?

How may I support my child?

• Schedule an individual meeting with your child’s teacher to learn how you can continue to help your child succeed.

• Encourage your child to read and/or listen to audiobooks daily.

Resources:

Parent Guide: https://educationnorthwest.org/sites/default/files/resources/parent-guide-el-english.pdf

Reading activities in English and Spanish: https://readconmigo.org/parents/activities

Colorín Colorado (bilingual website):  http://www.colorincolorado.org/

Unite for Literacy: https://www.uniteforliteracy.com/

Supporting English Learners in Texas:​​​​​​​ https://www.txel.org/Parents-And-Families