Grade 4 ELA (CCSS-ELA) Exam Survival Guide

Must-do topics

• Reading: theme vs main idea; summarize with key details; use text features; compare firsthand vs secondhand accounts.
• Writing: opinion (claim + reasons + evidence); informative (facts, headings, linking words); narratives (clear sequence, dialogue).
• Language: progressive verbs, relative pronouns (who/which/that); commas in compound sentences; quotation marks.
• Speaking/Listening: paraphrase, summarize; report with visual aids.

Top traps

• Confusing theme (big idea) with summary.
• Opinion writing without evidence.
• Misplacing quotation marks/punctuation.
• Summaries that are retellings, not concise.

Quick checks

• Read passage → state theme in one sentence.
• Opinion: “Best school lunch” → give 2 reasons + 1 fact.
• Edit: “I went home, and i did my work” → fix.
• Summarize article in 3 sentences (no personal opinion).

You will make

• Theme vs Main Idea T-Chart.
• Opinion-Evidence Planner.
• Punctuation Anchor Cards.
• Summary Pyramid (5Ws shrink to 1 line).

Daily plan (30 min)

• 10 min fluency/word study.
• 10 min close reading + response.
• 10 min writing/editing.