Building Self-Reliant, Confident Thinkers: A Message from the Fourth Grade Team
As teachers, we see every day how capable children truly are when given the chance to think, explore, and solve problems for themselves. Yet in a world that often moves fast and offers instant answers, it can be easy for adults to step in too quickly. Our role—as parents, teachers, and mentors—is not just to protect or correct, but to train our children in self-reliance, confidence, and thoughtful decision-making. These qualities don’t develop by accident; they grow through practice, patience, and trust.
When your child comes to you with a question, try first to ask what they think. Discuss their ideas before giving the “right” answer. This simple shift teaches them that thinking is a process, not a performance. When children make their own meaning by connecting new ideas to what they already know, learning takes root and stays for life.
We can encourage these habits by:
Modeling curiosity – Show that wondering, questioning, and investigating are part of everyday life.
Promoting a growth mindset – Remind children that mistakes are not failures but opportunities to grow. Help them use positive self-talk: “I can figure this out,” or “I don’t know yet.”
Balancing freedom and responsibility – As children demonstrate responsibility, give them matching privileges: managing time and personal things, solving small conflicts, or studying and organizing their own materials. This builds trust and confidence.
At the same time, we want children to know they are not alone. Self-reliance doesn’t mean isolation. Our kids need adults and communities to guide them through the deeper questions of truth, right and wrong, and wise decision-making. These are the places where we walk beside them, offering perspective and moral grounding.
Together, by balancing independence with guidance, we help our children grow into thoughtful, resilient young people—ready to think deeply, act wisely, and contribute meaningfully to the world around them.
We are in week 4 already! Soon our mid-quarter progress reports will be upon us for scholars scoring below the 70%.
-Make sure students are studying regularly throughout the quarter: review History chapters read in class, review Science books and spiral notes, study Roots definitions flash cards, study multiplication flash cards on missed problems from Rocket Math tests, and reading 6-8, 150 page or more books with journal entries.
NEWS:
No School Wednesday 11/11 in celebration of Veteran's Day.
Thursday, November 5th- The 4th Grade room parents are generously donating a slice of pizza per scholar for the lunch-time picnic. Your scholar may want to bring their other lunch elements this day.
Norman and Saxon Poem due 12/11- it is imperative that all scholars work on memorizing this week by week and not saving it until the last minute as it is our longest poem to date.
CURRICULUM:
ELA:
POETRY The last poem of Quarter 2 is "Norman and Saxon". It is due on Friday, December 11th, but we encourage students to perform as early as they choose.
LITERATURE We are reading more chapters of Robin Hood this week. This is to complete the tale and set us up for Robin Hood Essays at the end of Quarter 2. Be sure your students have the correct edition of Robin Hood for all of quarter 2.
We continue our COMPOSITION program and scholars complete a 20-point dictation on wave energy, focusing on spelling and mechanics as they write about how light travels through space as transverse waves. In AZ Merit prep, the class continues Lesson 3 on drama by reading the second part of "The First Labor of Hercules and Snakes on a Plane" and reviewing comprehension questions together. Finally, students explore narrative point of view using an interactive slideshow, recording answers on index cards, self-grading in red pencil, and completing the "Identifying Narrative Perspective" classwork before starting the front page of their highlighter-assisted homework with a partner.
In GRAMMAR, Scholars dive into complex sentences by combining independent and dependent clauses with subordinating conjunctions and practicing comma rules when dependent clauses lead. They code sentence types—Simple, Compound, Complex, Fragment, Run-On, and Comma Splice—in their Red Spirals, gluing in exemplars and reviewing worksheets together as a class. Transitioning to standardized test prep for AZ Merit, students read the foundational passage "Getting the Idea" alongside "The Giant Turnip," work independently and in pairs on comprehension questions, and close with a whole-class review to assess mastery.
We will pick up with our formal Well Ordered Language grammar program in Q2W5 with Predicate Adjectives in Chapter 6. we review notes in the red spiral on Predicate Nominatives and conclude with an open-note quiz and then begin Predicate Adjectives. A predicate adjective re-describes the subject. For example: The thunder was frightening. Frightening is the predicate adjective.
Transitive and Intransitive Verbs
In LATIN AND GREEK ROOTS our roots are -ance (state or quality of) and -ence (state or quality of). Their derivatives are: annoyance, defiance, dominance, elegance, perseverance, radiance, tolerance, maintenance, patience, convenience, diligence, consequence, persistence, conference, coincidence. Scholars should study their 24 Roots Cards every day for 5-10 minutes.
For PHILOSOPHY, we will discuss Marcus Aurelius's view on the little things bothering us.
Math:
In Math, we will begin with Chapter 5 concepts which is our first chapter on Fractions. Scholars will compare fractions with unlike numerators and denominators, compare and order three fractions, relate tenths to fractions, and begin adding fractions with like denominators. Our chapter 4 test is on Tuesday with the Blue Math Book due at this time. Chapter 4 test corrections are due one week from receiving them.
Math Test Corrections:
Students will attach a separate piece of paper to their graded math tests and write the problem number of each problem missed. They will re-do the problem correctly and show their work. They will also write a short sentence about why they missed that problem. Students can earn up to 5 points for their corrections. Students who missed no problems, do not need to submit corrections.
Khan Academy Help for Comparing Fractions
History:
For history, scholars explore Chapter 18 by discovering the origins of Parliament, examining Edward I’s 1295 Model Parliament, and identifying the House of Commons and House of Lords. Transitioning to Chapter 19 and the Hundred Years' War, the class discusses medieval warfare, examines the game-changing impact of the English longbow and the cannon, connects historical context to the poem "Norman and Saxon," and creates a Hundred Years' War fold. Students also review Saint Crispin's Day, explore Shakespeare's Henry V and the famous "band of brothers" speech before the Battle of Agincourt, and complete their 11-point Medieval Europe review homework.
Science:
In science, scholars explore how waves send messages, codes, and signals through Chapters 5 and 6 of Investigating Waves, comparing longitudinal sound waves with transverse light waves. The lesson investigates analog and digital signals, dives into binary code using decoder worksheets, and features an engaging flashlight code challenge where pairs transmit secret messages. Following an on-campus field trip, spelling bee, and review games, students wrap up the week by practicing for their upcoming Waves Comprehension Check on Thursday, 11/12 using their science journals, unit review assignments and green study sheet, and writing self-checks.
How Exactly Does Binary Code Work?
Previous Weeks' Videos for Review:
W3 Links:
Transverse and Longitudinal Review
Concave and Convex Lens Demonstration
Light Waves, Invisible and Visible
How Light is Absorbed, Reflected, Refracted
Is Light a Particle or Wave- Quantum Mechanics
W2 Links:
Transverse and Longitudinal Waves 1
Transverse and Longitudinal Waves 2
Longitudinal and Transverse Waves
Q2W1 Links:
Sound and Light Travel in Waves
Remember, the blog is updated weekly. Be sure to come back frequently to see any upcoming events or changes in fourth grade.