FAST ELA Grade 4 key terms

The most important point a passage or paragraph is making about its topic. It is what the author most wants the reader to understand and is often stated in a topic sentence.

The subject a text is about, stated in a word or short phrase. Topic is broader and simpler than main idea, which tells what the author says about that subject.

A message or life lesson about people or life that a story conveys through events and characters. Themes are usually implied rather than directly stated and can apply beyond the story.

A fact, example, reason, or description in a text that explains, proves, or develops the main idea. Good readers tell supporting details apart from ideas that are only loosely related.

A short retelling of a text that states the main idea and the most important details in the reader's own words. A summary leaves out minor details and personal opinions.

Specific words, sentences, or details from a text that support an answer, claim, or inference. Answers about a text should be backed by evidence the reader can point to.

A conclusion a reader draws by combining clues in the text with what the reader already knows. An inference is not stated directly, so it must be supported by text evidence.

Directly stated in the text so that the reader can point to the exact words. Questions asking what the text says explicitly are answered by information clearly written on the page.

A judgment or decision a reader reaches after thinking about all the information in a text. It grows out of evidence and reasoning rather than being directly stated.

A guess about what will happen next, based on clues in the text and the reader's own experience. Predictions should be checked and revised as reading continues.

A person, animal, or other being that takes part in a story. Readers learn about characters from what they say, do, and think and from what others say about them.

A word describing a character's lasting qualities, such as brave, honest, or selfish. Traits are shown through actions and words rather than through feelings that change moment to moment.

The reason a character acts or feels a certain way, such as fear, loyalty, or wanting to win. Understanding motivation helps readers explain why events in a story happen.

The time and place in which a story happens. Setting can include the season, historical period, weather, and surroundings, and it often shapes the events and mood.

The sequence of events in a story, usually built around a conflict that is introduced, developed, and then resolved. Plot includes the problem, rising action, climax, and resolution.

The main problem or struggle in a story. It may be a struggle between characters, between a character and nature or society, or inside a character's own mind.

The part of a story where the conflict is settled and the action comes to an end. The resolution often reveals what the characters learned or how things changed.

The order in which events, steps, or ideas are arranged in a text. Signal words such as first, next, then, and finally help readers follow the sequence.

A way of organizing text that shows how two or more things are alike and how they are different. Signal words include both, similarly, however, and unlike.

The way an author organizes information in a text, such as cause and effect, comparison, sequence, or problem and solution. Recognizing structure helps readers follow and remember ideas.

A text structure that explains why something happened and what resulted from it. Signal words include because, so, since, as a result, and therefore.

The reason an author writes a text: to inform, to persuade, or to entertain. Readers look at content, word choice, and text features to figure out the purpose.

The position, opinion, or claim an author takes on a topic and supports with reasons and evidence. It differs from narrative point of view, which concerns who tells a story.

A statement an author or speaker says is true and then supports with reasons and evidence. A claim is the idea the writer wants the reader to accept.

A fact can be proved true, while an opinion tells what someone thinks or feels. Recognizing the difference helps readers judge how much to trust a statement.

Language that goes beyond the literal meaning of words to create pictures or effects, including similes, metaphors, personification, and idioms. It is common in poetry and descriptive writing.

A comparison of two unlike things using the words like or as, such as cheeks as red as apples. A simile helps readers picture something by linking it to something familiar.

A comparison that states one thing is another without using like or as, such as the classroom was a zoo. Metaphors create vivid images by transferring qualities from one thing to another.

A common expression whose meaning cannot be understood from the individual words, such as under the weather or hit the books. Idioms are understood by speakers of the language.

Information in the words and sentences around an unknown word that helps the reader figure out its meaning. Types include definitions, examples, synonyms, and antonyms.

A word part added to the beginning of a base word that changes its meaning, such as un- in unhappy or re- in rewrite. Knowing common prefixes helps readers decode unfamiliar words.

A word part added to the end of a base word that changes its meaning or its part of speech, such as -ful in hopeful or -less in hopeless.

The basic part of a word that carries its main meaning and can stand alone or have prefixes and suffixes added. For example, help is the root of helpful and unhelpful.

A word that has the same or nearly the same meaning as another word, such as begin and start. Synonyms help readers understand meaning and make writing more varied.

A word that means the opposite of another word, such as hot and cold. Antonyms can serve as context clues when a sentence contrasts two ideas.

Parts of a text other than the main paragraphs that help readers find and understand information, such as headings, captions, bold words, diagrams, and glossaries.

The perspective from which a story is told. First person uses I or we, while third person uses he, she, or they and may be limited or omniscient.

The voice or character who tells a story. The narrator may be a character in the story or an outside observer who reports events.

To restate a text's meaning in your own words while keeping the same ideas and level of detail. Paraphrasing shows understanding and is useful when taking notes.

The attitude a writer shows toward the subject or audience, such as humorous, serious, or hopeful. Tone is created through word choice and details.

The feeling a reader gets from a text, such as suspense or calm. Mood is created by setting, word choice, and events and may differ from the writer's tone.