National Standards for Grade 4 - Reading

NAEP Reading Achievement Levels: Grade 4

Basic

Fourth-grade students performing at the Basic level should demonstrate an understanding of the overall meaning of what they read. When reading text appropriate for fourth graders, they should be able to make relatively obvious connections between the text and their own experiences and extend the ideas in the text by making simple inferences.

For example, when reading literary text, they should be able to tell what the story is generally about—providing details to support their understanding—and be able to connect aspects of the stories to their own experiences.

When reading informational text, Basic-level fourth graders should be able to tell what the selection is generally about or identify the purpose for reading it, provide details to support their understanding, and connect ideas from the text to their background knowledge and experiences.

Proficient

Fourth-grade students performing at the Proficient level should be able to demonstrate an overall understanding of the text, providing inferential as well as literal information. When reading text appropriate to fourth grade, they should be able to extend the ideas in the text by making inferences, drawing conclusions, and making connections to their own experiences. The connections between the text and what the student infers should be clear.

For example, when reading literary text, Proficient-level fourth graders should be able to summarize the story, draw conclusions about the characters or plot, and recognize relationships such as cause and effect.

When reading informational text, Proficient-level students should be able to summarize the information and identify the author’s intent or purpose. They should be able to draw reasonable conclusions from the text, recognize relationships such as cause and effect or similarities and differences, and identify the meaning of the selection’s key concepts.

Advanced

Fourth-grade students performing at the Advanced level should be able to generalize about topics in the reading selection and demonstrate an awareness of how authors compose and use literary devices. When reading text appropriate to fourth grade, they should be able to judge texts critically and, in general, give thorough answers that indicate careful thought.

For example, when reading literary text, Advanced-level students should be able to make generalizations about the point of the story and extend its meaning by integrating personal experiences and other readings with ideas suggested by the text. They should be able to identify literary devices such as figurative language.

When reading informational text, Advanced-level fourth graders should be able to explain the author’s intent by using supporting material from the text. They should be able to make critical judgments of the form and content of the text and explain their judgments clearly.

What Must Students Know and Be Able To Do?

The NAEP Reading Framework specifies three contexts for reading: reading for literary experience, reading for information, and reading to perform a task.

Contexts for Reading Specified in the NAEP ­Reading Framework

The proportion of items related to each context for reading changes from grade to grade to reflect the changing demands made of students as they mature.

Percentage of NAEP Reading Items, by Grade and Context for Reading

The Framework also specifies four aspects of reading that characterize the way readers respond to text: forming a general understanding, developing interpretation, making reader/text connections, and examining content and structure.

Aspects of Reading and Reader Responses

 Percentage Distribution of Student Time, by Grade and Aspect of Reading

 Sample NAEP Questions and Reading Strategies, by Context for Reading and Aspect of Reading