The Common Core in Iowa

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Skills available for Iowa fourth-grade language arts standards

Standards are in black and IXL language arts skills are in dark green. Hold your mouse over the name of a skill to view a sample question. Click on the name of a skill to practice that skill.

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Iowa Academic Standards for ELA and Literacy (adopted in 2024): Grade 4 Iowa Academic Standards for ELA and Literacy (adopted in 2024): Grade 4
Iowa Core: Language Iowa Core: Language
Iowa Core: Reading: Foundational Skills Iowa Core: Reading: Foundational Skills
Iowa Core: Reading: Informational Text Iowa Core: Reading: Informational Text
Iowa Core: Reading: Literature Iowa Core: Reading: Literature
Iowa Core: Writing Iowa Core: Writing

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WF.4 Writing Standards: Foundational Skills

Writing Foundations
- WF.4.1 Write legibly for a variety of tasks and purposes.
  - WF.4.1.a Apply previous handwriting skills with accuracy and automaticity.

W.4 Writing Standards

Text Types and Purposes
- W.4.1 Write an opinion piece, supported by a point of view.
  - W.4.1.a Introduce a topic or text clearly, state an opinion, and create an organizational structure in which related ideas are grouped to support the writer's purpose.
  - W.4.1.b Provide reasons that are supported by facts and details.
  - W.4.1.c Link opinion and reasons using words and phrases (e.g., for instance, in order to, in addition).
  - W.4.1.d Provide a concluding statement or section related to the opinion presented.
- W.4.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
  - W.4.2.a Introduce a topic clearly and group related information in paragraphs and sections; include formatting (e.g., headings), illustrations, and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
  - W.4.2.b Develop the topic with facts, definitions, details, quotations, or other information and examples related to the topic.
  - W.4.2.c Link ideas within categories of information using words and phrases (e.g., another, for example, also, because).
  - W.4.2.d Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
  - W.4.2.e Provide a concluding statement or section related to the information or explanation presented.
    - Choose the best concluding sentence (4-T.2)
- W.4.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
  - W.4.3.a Use an organizational structure to orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally.
    - Put the sentences in order (4-S.1)
  - W.4.3.b Use dialogue and description to develop experiences and events or show the responses of characters to situations.
  - W.4.3.c Use a variety of transitional words and phrases to manage the sequence of events.
  - W.4.3.d Use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences and events precisely.
  - W.4.3.e Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events.
Production and Distribution of Writing
- W.4.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
- W.4.5 With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing.
- W.4.6 With some guidance and support from adults, use technology to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills.
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
- W.4.7 Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.
- W.4.8 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.
- W.4.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
  - W.4.9.a Apply grade 4 Reading standards to literature (e.g., "Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a character's thoughts, words, or actions).").
  - W.4.9.b Apply grade 4 Reading standards to informational texts (e.g., "Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text.").
Range of Writing
- W.4.10 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.

L.4 Language Standards

Conventions of Standard English
- L.4.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
  - L.4.1.a Use relative pronouns (who, whose, whom, which, that) and relative adverbs (where, when, why).
  - L.4.1.b Form and use the progressive (e.g., I was walking; I am walking; I will be walking) verb tenses.
    - Use the progressive verb tenses (4-RR.13)
    - Form the progressive verb tenses (4-RR.14)
  - L.4.1.c Use modal auxiliaries (e.g., can, may, must) to convey various conditions.
    - What does the modal verb show? (4-PP.4)
    - Use the correct modal verb (4-PP.5)
  - L.4.1.d Order adjectives within sentences according to conventional patterns.
    - Order adjectives (4-TT.4)
  - L.4.1.e Form and use prepositional phrases.
    - Identify prepositional phrases (4-UU.3)
    - Prepositions: review (4-UU.4)
  - L.4.1.f Produce complete sentences, recognizing and correcting fragments and run-ons.
  - L.4.1.g Correctly use homophones (e.g., to, too, two, there, their).
- L.4.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
Knowledge of Language
- L.4.3 Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
  - L.4.3.a Choose words and phrases to convey ideas precisely.
  - L.4.3.b Choose punctuation for effect.
  - L.4.3.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).
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
- L.4.4 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.
  - L.4.4.a Use context (e.g., definitions, examples, or restatements in text) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
  - L.4.4.b Use common, grade-appropriate Greek and Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., telegraph, photograph, autograph).
  - L.4.4.c Consult reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses) to find the pronunciation and determine or clarify the precise meaning of key words and phrases.
- L.4.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
  - L.4.5.a Explain the meaning of simple similes and metaphors (e.g., as pretty as a picture) in context.
    - Similes and metaphors with pictures (4-K.2)
    - Determine the meanings of similes and metaphors (4-K.3)
  - L.4.5.b Recognize and explain the meaning of common idioms, adages, and proverbs.
  - L.4.5.c Demonstrate an understanding of synonyms and antonyms.
- 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).

The Common Core in Iowa

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RL.4 Reading Standards for Literature

Key Ideas and Details

RL.4.1 Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences.

RL.4.2 Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize the text.

RL.4.3 Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a character's thoughts, words, or actions).

Craft and Structure

RL.4.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including those that allude to significant characters.

RL.4.5 Explain major differences between poems, drama, and prose, and refer to the structural elements of poems (e.g., verse, rhythm, meter) and drama (e.g., casts of characters, settings, descriptions, dialogue, stage directions) when writing or speaking about a text.

RL.4.6 Compare and contrast the point of view and/or perspective from which different stories are narrated, including the difference between first- and third-person narrations.

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

RL.4.7 Make connections between a literary text and a visual/oral presentation of the text (e.g., mood, aspects of characters, or setting).

RL.4.9 Compare and contrast the treatment of similar themes and topics (e.g., opposition of good and evil) and patterns of events (e.g., the quest) in literary text.

Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity

RL.4.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, in the grades 4–5 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

RI.4 Reading Standards for Informational Text

Key Ideas and Details

RI.4.1 Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

RI.4.2 Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text.

RI.4.3 Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific details from the text.

Craft and Structure

RI.4.4 Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words or phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area.

RI.4.5 Describe the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in a text or part of a text.

RI.4.6 Compare and contrast a firsthand and secondhand account of the same event or topic; describe the differences in focus and the information provided.

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

RI.4.7 Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g., in charts, graphs, diagrams, time lines, animations, or interactive elements on Web pages) and explain how the information contributes to comprehension of the text.

RI.4.8 Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text.

RI.4.9 Integrate information from two texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.

Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity

RI.4.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, in the grades 4–5 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

RF.4 Reading Standards: Foundational Skills

Phonics and Word Recognition

RF.4.3 Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills to support decoding and encoding words.

RF.4.3.a Accurately read unfamiliar multisyllabic words in and out of context using sound-spelling correspondences, syllabication patterns, and morphology (e.g., roots and affixes).

Fluency

RF.4.4 Orally read grade-level texts (e.g., poetry and prose) with accuracy, automaticity, and expression at an appropriate rate to support comprehension, self-correcting as necessary.

WF.4 Writing Standards: Foundational Skills

Writing Foundations

WF.4.1 Write legibly for a variety of tasks and purposes.

WF.4.1.a Apply previous handwriting skills with accuracy and automaticity.

W.4 Writing Standards

Text Types and Purposes

W.4.1 Write an opinion piece, supported by a point of view.

W.4.1.a Introduce a topic or text clearly, state an opinion, and create an organizational structure in which related ideas are grouped to support the writer's purpose.

W.4.1.b Provide reasons that are supported by facts and details.

W.4.1.c Link opinion and reasons using words and phrases (e.g., for instance, in order to, in addition).

W.4.1.d Provide a concluding statement or section related to the opinion presented.

W.4.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.

W.4.2.a Introduce a topic clearly and group related information in paragraphs and sections; include formatting (e.g., headings), illustrations, and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.

W.4.2.b Develop the topic with facts, definitions, details, quotations, or other information and examples related to the topic.

W.4.2.c Link ideas within categories of information using words and phrases (e.g., another, for example, also, because).

W.4.2.d Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.

W.4.2.e Provide a concluding statement or section related to the information or explanation presented.

W.4.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.

W.4.3.a Use an organizational structure to orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally.

W.4.3.b Use dialogue and description to develop experiences and events or show the responses of characters to situations.

W.4.3.c Use a variety of transitional words and phrases to manage the sequence of events.

W.4.3.d Use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences and events precisely.

W.4.3.e Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events.

Production and Distribution of Writing

W.4.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

W.4.5 With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing.

W.4.6 With some guidance and support from adults, use technology to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills.

Research to Build and Present Knowledge

W.4.7 Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.

W.4.8 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.

W.4.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

W.4.9.a Apply grade 4 Reading standards to literature (e.g., "Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a character's thoughts, words, or actions).").

W.4.9.b Apply grade 4 Reading standards to informational texts (e.g., "Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text.").

Range of Writing

W.4.10 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.

L.4 Language Standards

Conventions of Standard English

L.4.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

L.4.1.a Use relative pronouns (who, whose, whom, which, that) and relative adverbs (where, when, why).

L.4.1.b Form and use the progressive (e.g., I was walking; I am walking; I will be walking) verb tenses.

L.4.1.c Use modal auxiliaries (e.g., can, may, must) to convey various conditions.

L.4.1.d Order adjectives within sentences according to conventional patterns.