Your child is about to enter fourth grade, and you may be a little intimidated about homeschooling next school year. After all, fourth grade becomes more involved and more challenging. Foundational concepts and skills in reading, spelling, writing, and math will be honed during fourth grade. History and science will also broaden the borders of your student’s knowledge.
As a homeschooling parent, you want to give your children the best elementary education so they are ready for the rest of their education. But how do you choose the best fourth grade homeschool curriculum for this important transitional grade? What should you emphasize in your curriculum? Is there a curriculum that will accommodate your fourth grader’s learning style and academic needs? This blog post will help answer your questions and direct you to the best fourth grade homeschool curriculum for your journey.
Fourth Grade Homeschool Curriculum Options
There are more options than ever when choosing a fourth grade homeschool curriculum. You may want to choose a fourth grade curriculum format based on your child’s abilities and needs. Available formats include textbooks only, online with textbooks or e-books, and DVDs with textbooks. You can also find a curriculum to complement your homeschool style, whether it’s classical education, Charlotte Mason, Montessori, eclectic, traditional, unit studies, or a combination of these.
What to Look for in a Fourth Grade Homeschool Curriculum
Fourth grade kicks learning up to a new level. Subjects become more complex, and students will be challenged to think more critically and logically. By the end of the school year, your fourth grader should have acquired and grown skills in the following areas of their education.
Math
In a fourth grade homeschool curriculum, students should be taught skills that build in complexity. The fourth grade math curriculum should include an introduction to improper fractions, decimals, mixed numbers, and negative numbers. Common multiples and prime and composite numbers may also be introduced in fourth grade. Worktexts should practice the skills used with these concepts as well as multiplying and dividing zero and large numbers. Measuring various units of length, width, height, capacity, and temperature should also be included, along with factoring time and money. A good curriculum will use relevant word problems, number lines, and manipulatives as needed to teach these concepts.
Social Studies
Fourth grade social studies curriculum introduces students to the history of their home state. In addition, it will explore the American Revolution and how the Constitution and the Bill of Rights were made. A good fourth grade curriculum will also study the earth and explore the division of the two hemispheres. It can also introduce students to world geography, teaching them how to read maps by finding coordinates and using a map’s scale.
Science
In fourth grade students, students should find out how erosion shapes the earth’s surface and what makes earthquakes happen. A good fourth grade science curriculum will explore electricity and how it powers everything around us. It should talk about plants and trees, from how they start as a seed to how they grow into big plants. Finally, students should learn the parts of the human body and learn about all the cool systems it has and how they work together.
Reading
A solid fourth grade reading curriculum will guide students to a deeper comprehension of what they read. By teaching reading strategies and new vocabulary words, the curriculum will equip students to interpret texts, not simply give them stories to read. Students should be able to restate a work’s primary point and important details by the time they complete the curriculum. The curriculum should also ask students to answer critical thinking questions using evidence from the work to support their answers.
Writing
In a quality fourth grade homeschool curriculum, students will study how to use punctuation marks, the parts of speech, and the other conventions of the English language. The curriculum should include instruction on how to structure a paragraph as well as how to write a report using research. A good curriculum will also include how to identify word parts, the differences between commonly confused words, and other types of writing (argumentative essays or descriptive narratives, for example).
Highlights of the BJU Press Fourth Grade Homeschool Curriculum
The BJU Press fourth grade homeschool curriculum is designed to reinforce your child’s confidence in his or her new skills. As you work together toward academic success, your child will also learn to apply biblical principles to everyday actions.
Subjects for Fourth Grade BJU Press Curriculum
English 4
Writing & Grammar broadens and applies students’ knowledge of English conventions to how they write and speak. Six writing assignments, journaling, and other practice lessons let students apply the writing process and grammar skills. Teaching materials have lesson plans for teaching the writing process by using mentor texts, leading writing conferences, and using other teaching strategies.
Reading 4
Supports parents as they guide their children toward lifelong reading success. This engaging, comprehension-based program teaches biblical discernment through teacher-guided instruction. It provides silent and oral reading opportunities and builds vocabulary and literary skills. Questions, activities, and other strategies develop comprehension before, during, and after reading.
Handwriting 4
Refines handwriting skills and reinforces a legible, consistent cursive alphabet. The worktext provides practice preserving legible writing while using a pen.
Spelling 4
Introduces new words to master for the fourth grade level. Word histories and etymologies build understanding and interest in the English language. Journal entry ideas give students the chance to practice good spelling in writing. A dictionary skills section familiarizes students with using a dictionary.
Math 4
Encourages accurate computation as students apply their knowledge of place value to multiplication and division. It also teaches students to use reasoning skills to estimate answers; introduces students to STEM activities; and develops students’ understanding of fractions, geometry, measurements, and pre-algebra skills.
Science 4
Guides students as they use their scientific knowledge, inquiry skills, and engineering skills to investigate living things, energy, and the earth’s surface. This course also explores plants, animals, the human body, and natural resources. Students will notice more of the world around them and deepen their knowledge of the Creator.
Heritage Studies 4
Brings history to life, from the founding of America to World War II, from a biblical perspective. The lessons include a study of the regions of the United States. Each chapter opener includes a timeline. History chapter openers have chapter focus statements, and region chapters have locator maps.
A Complete Fourth Grade Homeschool Curriculum
When you buy a BJU Press fourth grade homeschool curriculum complete kit, you receive all the essential materials for every course listed above. Not only do you save money, but you also gain the strength of unified educational materials. Though choosing textbooks from several different sources may seem to give flexibility and customization, using a curriculum kit from BJU Press lets your student focus on learning rather than switching to yet another perspective. BJU Press textbooks are consistent in biblical and academic standards—every subject, every grade. And our teacher editions and other materials allow for flexibility and customization within a unified biblical worldview.
When looking for a suitable fourth grade homeschool curriculum, it’s important to prioritize a program that covers core subjects like language arts, science, math, social studies, and spelling. Assignments and exercises should reinforce the lessons. Also, have a reliable method for tracking your child’s progress. Engaging activities that make learning fun and a curriculum that caters to different learning styles, such as visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and logical, are also essential. The curriculum should reflect and challenge your child’s abilities, strengths, and personality, while teaching all subjects from a biblical worldview. Keep these factors in mind while selecting the right fourth-grade curriculum for your child’s educational journey.
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Jennifer is a pastor’s wife and mom of two young girls and loves homeschooling them. During her own twelve years of being homeschooled, Jennifer developed a passion for reading and writing. She earned a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and relishes writing during her free time.
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