Expectations need to be clearly defined to students and parents in the beginning of the fourth-grade school year. With this grade level comes more books, folders and reports that need to be accounted for by the student. When expectations and goals are explained immediately, children quickly get in the habit of accountability. In learning organizational skills, fourth graders master how to keep track of homework, when to know which books to bring home and why it is important to start early on a research report, for example. Not only will this help academic achievement, but life skills as well.
Understanding that each fourth grader is unique in his ability to grasp academic concepts and engage in social activities enables a teacher to slow down and review her teaching methods. Children in fourth grade are typically nine and ten years old, which is when they negotiate heavily, begin to see things unfairly and can often be moody because of stress related to worrying or peer pressure. Because of this, a fourth grade teacher works to ensure that children do not become frustrated. Constructive criticism and positive affirmation go a long way in keeping a 10-year-old motivated when challenged. According to a report by the National Research Center on English Learning & Achievement, successful fourth-grade teachers are flexible, interested in a students' personal problems and achievements and show enthusiasm for teaching.
Fourth graders spend a lot of time reading and writing on their own. A strong teacher goes into great detail about genres, such as myths, fantasy and legends, and makes a student think about his own life and how books characters are relatable. Math instruction includes decimals and fractions, in addition to being able to multiply and divide numbers up to 10. It is imperative that a fourth-grade teacher give plenty of detailed instruction, in-class worksheets and review homework every day so that children are sure to grasp the concepts. In addition, dividing children into groups according to their academic level benefits everyone. The teacher is able to instruct according to academic level and can easily move ahead or spend extra time going over critical concepts and information.
According to the report by the National Research Center on English Learning & Achievement, the most effective fourth-grade teachers provide plenty of opportunities for peers to support and encourage each other, display students' work prominently and encourage classroom discussions by continuing to ask inferential questions. The way a teacher sets up the classroom, follows through on consistent routines and gives explicit instruction to students translates into student achievement.