The Parent's Guide to Fourth Grade

By fourth grade, academics kick into high gear. From what to expect in the classroom, to your fourth grader's changing social life, bullying to development, this is a banner year. Don't forget to have some fun, too! Check out our fourth grade activities for some inspiration.

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School and Academics

Fourth Grade Summer Reading List

Looking for a solid gold reading list to kick off the summer? Look no further. We've combed the shelves for new titles that have what it takes to engage fourth grade readers all summer long. Here's our list of favorites.

4th Grade Writing: What Happens

In fourth grade, writing becomes even more important. Your child will be expressing his or her thoughts and ideas, as well as what has been learned, in book reports, research papers, essays, and poetry. What else can you expect? Read on.

What to Expect in 4th Grade

Getting ready for fourth grade? Here's a comprehensive look at what parents can expect this year.

4th Grade Reading: What Happens

Fourth grade reading is about getting faster and better at reading. Know where your child should be in reading before and after fourth grade.

4th Grade Math: What Happens

4th Grade Social Studies: What Happens

4th Grade Science: What Happens

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Social and Emotional

Your 4th Grader's Social Life

For most kids, the transition to fourth grade is like merging into a social fast lane. Gone are the comforts of early elementary social stability: here to stay (for a while!) are gossiping, teasing, and unblinking peer scrutiny.

According to the School Psychologist: 4th Grade

Expert advice from a school psychologist on how parents can better understand their fourth grader.

Social Graces: What to Expect in 4th Grade

When it comes to a well-rounded fourth grader, good manners rank up there with mastering cursive writing. And it's not about walking with books on their heads, it's about mature communication skills and thoughtful actions.

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Milestones and Development

How a 4th Grader Thinks

Now that your child's in fourth grade you can see the end of elementary school right up ahead, but your child's still developing mentally. And at a rapid pace! What are fourth graders capable of understanding? Here's what an important expert has to say:

Physical Development Milestones: 4th Grade

Readiness for serious cooperative and competitive games mixed with a thirst for self-challenge mark the fourth grade school year. You'll begin to notice some of these new movement milestones in your fourth grade child:

Gender Differences: 4th Grade

Picture a fourth grader completely immersed in a book or scribbling in a journal. Was the bookworm you imagined male or female? Odds are, you pictured a girl – and the odds are, your guess was right.

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Our Essential Fourth Grade Gift Guide

See all gifts for fourth grade

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Dinotopia: Journey to Chandara

by James Gurney

Follow the exploits of 19th century explorer, Arthur Denison, and his son Will, who survive a shipwreck only to find themselves stranded on an island teeming with dinosaurs! An adventure packed with amazing encounters, like a woolly mammoth and a giant dinosaur that resembles a knife-clawed chicken!

Theodosia and the Staff of Osiris

by R.L. LaFevers

Is she like Nancy Drew? A pint-sized version of Indiana Jones? A female Harry Potter? When the first book in this series hit the shelves earlier this year, critics couldn't decide. But they did agree on one thing...they loved her! This winter, Theodosia is back, and she's just as clever as ever.

The 39 Clues: The Maze of Bones

by Rick Riordan

Meet orphans Amy and Dan Cahill, two kids competing against other members of the powerful Cahill clan to discover the first of 39 clues. Why so interested? No biggie-- the clues just lead to a secret that will make them the most powerful people on the planet.

Remember the Spirograph of yesteryear? This is a great portable scaled-down version of the creative game many of us remember fondly from childhood. It makes for a fantastic on-the-go diversion, as each component, from the small pens to the multi-shaped gears, is housed in the mini-drawing board.

This letter game works like a movable crossword puzzle, with players all scouting for letters to join together into words. The tiles are in a "face-up" pool for all to see. When a player spots a word sitting in the pool, he scoops its letters out and lines them up.

This game is a blast! Using strategy and more than a little blind luck, players take turns trying to maneuver their given set of "tikis" to the top of the heap. This fast-paced strategy game takes a mere 20 minutes or so to complete, and keeps kids mesmerized as they play Polynesian!

This miniature soccer set will turn a snowy day or rainy afternoon into a chance to work those gross motor and team building skills. Ask your kid to invite a few friends over, or play as a family, and let the games begin!

This game looks really easy when you see the box, but looks can be deceiving! Shake up the little canister and you'll get a random pattern of colored blocks, which players then race to duplicate on a flat tray of tiles. It's a boon for math and science, and can become addictive.

Want to raise a musician? This simple, hand-held African instrument is made of high quality wood and metal. Also known as the thumb piano, it produces a smooth, soothing sound. A great intro to the world of music!

Want to give your daughter something special in the mail? Sign her up for a subscription to this magazine for creative girls. This isn't another glossy fashion mag showing airbrushed bodies; instead, it teaches girls how to nurture their own sense of style, rather than follow the pack.

Based on the popular vocabulary-building game for older children, this is a quick-moving game in which players have just 45 seconds to solve a given set of clues, all of which pertain to a specific "buzzword." Sharpens young minds like an interactive crossword puzzle. Get your buzz on!

Fourth graders are pros when it comes to downloading songs for an iPod. This year, give your child something a little different to tickle his ears, and his brain! Audible, a popular service for adults, recently introduced a special site just for kids, jam-packed with amazing titles.

This year, along with all the wrapped gifts you slip under the tree, consider gifting your child an experience that will shape the person she becomes. The Sierra Club offers outings that teach kids about environmental protection, ecology, and history in a fun, playful environment.

This beach house packs everything we love about those little plastic bricks into an incredibly appealing package. The set has three cool projects stuffed into one box-- a beach bungalow, a cozy cafe, and a chic little apartment building.

The Parent's Guide to Fourth Grade

School and Academics

Social and Emotional

Milestones and Development

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Our Essential Fourth Grade Gift Guide

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