By fourth grade, your child will have mastered many reading skills, such as decoding and fluency. This year, those skills advance even further: Your child will begin to consider the themes and meaning of books.
Your fourth grader will go beyond the words on the page, delving into the big picture of what a book is about (friendship, bravery, family, and so on). Your child will dig into the message a book's author seeks to convey, providing evidence to support their case.
Fourth grade is also when your child strengthens skills that will serve them well when they have to write essays later on, such as comparing and contrasting text, making inferences from the text and finding support, and drawing connections between the visuals in books (illustrations, diagrams, charts, etc.) and the text.
All in all, fourth grade is a huge year for reading, and choosing the right books for them to read at home can help support your child's reading development.
For instance, in The Baby-Sitters Club Graphix #6: Kristy's Big Day, Kristy and the rest of The Baby-Sitters Club are in charge of 14 kids attending Kristy's mom's wedding. Of course, the group rises to the occasion, but not without a few mixups and adventures. Charming, joyful illustrations and a fast-moving plot help engage reluctant readers, while the book also touches on themes like moving homes and blended families.
With the Might of Angels gives an important perspective of the civil rights movement through the eyes of 12-year-old Dawnie, who attends a previously all-white school. She faces racism and discrimination, and while Dawnie discovers a lot about herself and her values, this book will also be eye-opening for your child and provide a means to understand a complex historical time.
Shop best-sellers for fourth graders below now! You can find all books and activities at The Scholastic Store.
