Skills Your 4th Grader Should Have Mastered Before 5th Grade.

Jessalyn Burden
6 days ago
3 min read

As a former elementary teacher, and now private tutor, here are the top 5 areas that I see children in 4th grade struggling with. Not all topics are going to be of equal importance, however, there are certain skills that are taught in 4th grade that are foundations for 5th & 6th. Mastery of these areas, especially in math, will make middle school a whole lot less stressful for students and parents.

Let’s jump right in to the math portion!

Place Value
Now this may seem simple enough, but not understanding place value can be detrimental when decimals are introduced. I would recommend knowing place value to the ten-thousands place at least.
Multiplication & Division Facts
Students begin learning this in 3rd grade, so by 4th grade, it should be a no brainer. However, I work with students all the time that are still struggling with the basic facts. This flows in to long division, multi-digit multiplication, fractions, decimals, word problems, and just a huge part of all math in general.
Word Problems
Word problems start as early as Kindergarten, but if a child struggles with reading and/or comprehension, word problems are going to be tough and confusing. I honestly have not had a student that was just amazing at them. I recommend working on strategies, identifying key words, and ways to decode what the problem is asking way before focusing on the actual math of it.
Equivalent Fractions

This is another area that I focus on with many of my 4th-6th grade students because it continues to build into middle school. Understanding equivalent fractions will set them up for success. Don’t forget about mixed numbers and improper fractions as well. They’re all connected!

Decimals
Students are introduced to decimals usually closer to the end of 4th grade, and end up working with them a lot in 5th & 6th.
Lines & Angles
Before really getting in to geometry, students should know what the different types of lines (segment, ray, etc) and angles are. They should also know all of the shape names, how to find their area and their perimeters.

Okay, that may seem like a lot, and it might be, depending on if a student missed instruction in 3rd grade as well. But there is always time to catch up.

Let’s talk about some of the most important areas of ELA.

Main Idea & Details
I bet you could have guessed that! Understanding what a purpose is about and being able to summarize its most important parts is something that is worked on K-12 and even in college. It is such a necessary skill to continuously work on and will be seen on tests all the way up to the ACT.
Text Structure
This is just another way to understand a text. Is it using cause & effect? What was the author’s purpose in writing this? Is there a problem and solution? Being able to analyze a text is very important, maybe not to real life, but to getting through school.
Topic & Concluding Sentences
When it comes to writing, these are two of the most important parts to be able to identify and write correctly.
Vocabulary
Using inferencing skills and surrounding words and phrases to figure out what an unknown word means is a great skill to have. Also knowing the basic prefixes, suffixes, and root words are helpful.
Complete Sentences
This may seem simple, but you would be surprised at how many students know nothing about grammar. When I say complete sentences, this means that they understand what makes a complete sentence and how to write one. This also includes an understanding of the parts of speech, fragments, run-ons, and even punctuation.

There is probably more to write about, but as someone who works on these skills to bridge academic gaps and prepare children for middle and high school, these are the most important ones on my list.

If you’d like more information, or even summer tutoring help, please reach out! I would love to put together a plan for success.

Thanks for reading! See you next month,