NB G4 English Reading study plan
NB G4 English Reading · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Key ideas and details in literary and informational texts
Identify the main idea or central message of a grade-4 literary passage and state it in one sentence
Locate and paraphrase at least three details that support the main idea
Distinguish between details stated explicitly and ideas that require a simple inference
Summarize a short story in three to four sentences using only key events
Your checkpoint
A reading log of 8 short literary passages, each with a one-sentence main idea, three supporting details, and a three-sentence summary; self-score at least 7 of 8 correct on main idea
Key ideas and details in literary and informational texts & Vocabulary acquisition and use in context
Identify main idea, supporting details, and sequence of events in informational passages
Explain how a specific detail supports the author's point using because-statements
Use surrounding words and sentences to infer the meaning of 15 unfamiliar grade-level words
Sort a list of 20 words into categories by meaning to build semantic links
Your checkpoint
A two-column evidence chart for 6 informational passages (claim on the left, quoted supporting detail on the right) plus a 20-word vocabulary log with student-written definitions and context sentences
Craft and structure: text features, point of view, and text organization
Name and explain the purpose of common text features such as headings, captions, bold words, diagrams, and glossaries
Trace how an author organizes a passage using sequence, comparison, cause-and-effect, or problem-solution
Locate the topic sentence of each paragraph and label the paragraph's role in the passage
Match a passage's structure to a graphic organizer the student draws independently
Your checkpoint
A completed text-feature audit of 5 informational passages: feature found, page or paragraph location, and stated reader benefit, plus a labeled graphic organizer for each passage
Craft and structure: text features, point of view, and text organization
Determine who is telling a story and describe how the narrator's viewpoint shapes what the reader knows
Compare how two characters react to the same event and explain the difference using textual evidence
Distinguish first-person from third-person narration in 10 short excerpts
Explain how word choice creates tone or mood in a short poem or story excerpt
Your checkpoint
A point-of-view comparison sheet for 5 paired excerpts (narrator, evidence quote, effect on the reader) scored against a 4-point checklist, plus a 10-item narration-type quiz at 80% or higher
Integration of knowledge and ideas: comparing texts, reasoning, and using evidence
Identify the main topic in two passages on the same subject and state how the focus differs
Compare and contrast two texts using at least three points of similarity or difference
Select the strongest quotation from a passage to answer a specific question and explain why it is strongest
Connect ideas across a paired text and visual-style description given in words only
Your checkpoint
A compare-and-contrast chart for 4 text pairs (topic, three similarities or differences, best evidence quote for each) with a short written justification for each chosen quote
Integration of knowledge and ideas: comparing texts, reasoning, and using evidence
Distinguish a claim from the evidence offered to support it in a short persuasive passage
Evaluate whether a given piece of evidence is relevant, sufficient, or weak and state the reason
Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points
Construct a two-sentence written response that cites one piece of textual evidence correctly
Your checkpoint
An evidence-evaluation worksheet for 5 persuasive passages: claim, evidence quoted, verdict (strong or weak), and one-sentence reason, with at least 4 of 5 verdicts matching the answer key
Vocabulary acquisition and use in context
Infer word meaning from context clues including definition, example, contrast, and cause-and-effect signals
Use common prefixes and suffixes to work out the meaning of 20 unfamiliar words
Distinguish literal from figurative language and explain the meaning of 10 similes, metaphors, and idioms
Use a dictionary or glossary entry to confirm a predicted meaning and note the part of speech
Your checkpoint
A vocabulary notebook of 40 words with predicted meaning, clue type used, confirmed dictionary meaning, and an original sentence for each; score 85% or higher on a self-made 25-item context-clue quiz
Key ideas and details in literary and informational texts & Integration of knowledge and ideas: comparing texts, reasoning, and using evidence
Answer mixed-domain questions on full-length grade-4 passages within a set time limit
Review every missed item and label its error type: main idea, detail, structure, viewpoint, evidence, or vocabulary
Re-attempt all previously missed question types and reach 80% or higher on a second attempt
Build a one-page personal strategy sheet listing the three most frequent error types and a fix for each
Your checkpoint
Two timed 25-question mixed practice sets with a completed error-analysis table and a one-page strategy sheet; second-attempt accuracy at 80% or higher
Milestones
Week 2: Main idea and supporting detail accuracy is at least 75% across 20 practice items, and the 20-word vocabulary log is complete
Week 4: Can independently label text structure, text features, and narrator type in 8 of 10 short passages within 20 minutes
Week 6: Evidence-based written responses include a correct quotation and a because-statement in 4 of 5 attempts
Week 8: Timed mixed practice at 80% or higher, with error analysis showing at least a 15-point gain over the week-1 baseline