4th Grade

The arts provide opportunities for students to explore ideas and express thoughts and emotions. In visual arts, music, and woodshop, fourth graders deepen their technical skills while working both independently and collaboratively. These experiences foster creativity, craftsmanship, and a strong sense of artistic community.

Fourth graders shift from learning to read to reading to learn, with an increased focus on comprehension and nonfiction texts. They develop skills in discussion, analysis, and research while strengthening their writing across informational, opinion, and literary forms. Instruction emphasizes organization, voice, and clarity as students communicate their ideas with purpose.

Students engage with more complex and abstract mathematical concepts, including multi-digit operations and fractions. They build a deep understanding of how and why mathematical strategies work while applying them to real-world problems. Collaboration and discussion support flexible thinking and strong mathematical communication.

Skills

• Fraction equivalence and comparison
• Extending operations with fractions
• Decimal place value
• Multiplying and dividing multi-digit numbers
• Measurement conversions
• Angles and properties of two-dimensional shapes

Students continue their study of either Mandarin Chinese or Spanish, building proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Instruction emphasizes immersion and meaningful communication through conversation, movement, and creative expression. Cultural understanding remains central to the program.

Students engage in inquiry-based science, asking questions and investigating concepts through observation, experimentation, and analysis. Using NGSS practices, they explore physical, life, and earth sciences, as well as engineering and technology. Topics such as energy, Earth’s systems, and structure and function help students connect scientific ideas to real-world applications.

Perspective is the central theme, as students examine the relationship between people and place. They begin with the natural history of the Pacific Northwest, including in-depth study of Indigenous peoples and cultures, and expand to broader global systems. Through inquiry and reflection, students explore identity, social justice, and multiple perspectives.

A holistic approach to wellness supports students’ physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development. Through movement, games, and reflection, students build coordination, resilience, and teamwork. These experiences help establish lifelong habits for health and well-being.