What your child learns in Grade 4 in BC
Grade 4 raises the pace on reading, writing and number work with larger numbers, multiplication, fractions and decimals. Students in Grade 4 also take the Foundation Skills Assessment.
Grade 4 subjects in the BC Curriculum
Math
Big Ideas
- Fractions and decimals are types of numbers that can represent quantities.
- Development of computational fluency and multiplicative thinking requires analysis of patterns and relations in multiplication and division.
- Regular changes in patterns can be identified and represented using tools and tables.
12 units, including numbers to 10 000, add & subtract, times tables, multiply & divide.
English Language Arts
Big Ideas
- Language and text can be a source of creativity and joy.
- Exploring stories and other texts helps us understand ourselves and make connections to others and to the world.
- Texts can be understood from different perspectives.
10 units, including reading detectives, text features, figurative language, point of view.
Science
Big Ideas
- All living things sense and respond to their environment.
- Matter has mass, takes up space, and can change phase.
- Energy can be transformed.
6 units, including sense & respond, biomes, phase changes, particles & mass.
Social Studies
Big Ideas
- The pursuit of valuable natural resources has played a key role in changing the land, people, and communities of Canada.
- Interactions between First Peoples and Europeans lead to conflict and cooperation, which continues to shape Canada's identity.
- Demographic changes in North America created shifts in economic and political power.
6 units, including first peoples & the land, contact & the fur trade, colonization & treaties, gold rushes.
French Immersion
Big Ideas
- One's self-image is revealed by one's choice of message and the way it is communicated.
- The diversity of cultural elements in texts reflects the cultural diversity within society.
- The nuances in a text can be discovered through inferences.
9 units, including tu ou vous?, poser des questions, synonymes et contraires, les adverbes en -ment.
What to look for on the report card
Look for comments on reading for meaning, organized paragraphs, fractions and decimals, and the FSA, which is separate from the report card.
BC report cards describe learning with Emerging, Developing, Proficient, Extending. See what each level means.
Grade 4 students also take the Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA). Read the FSA guide.
Core Competencies are part of every grade. Read about core competencies.
Ready for Grade 4?
Grade 4 builds on what your child practised in Grade 3. If a skill feels shaky, a few short practice sessions before or early in the year can help:
- Math: numbers to 1000, facts to 20, add & subtract, multiplication, division
- English Language Arts: read and think, story elements, word jobs, punctuation power, spelling patterns
- Science: grouping living things, ecosystems & food chains, matter & particles, thermal energy, landforms
- Social Studies: maps & globes, needs around the world, cultures of the world, first peoples, indigenous peoples of the world
- French Immersion: je me, tu te, il se, et, mais, ou, avec, ne… pas, le futur proche, les pluriels en -x
Common questions
What do kids learn in Grade 4 in British Columbia?
Grade 4 covers math, english language arts, science, social studies, french immersion in the BC Curriculum. Grade 4 raises the pace on reading, writing and number work with larger numbers, multiplication, fractions and decimals. Students in Grade 4 also take the Foundation Skills Assessment.
How is Grade 4 reported in BC?
BC report cards describe learning with Emerging, Developing, Proficient, Extending. Students in Grade 4 also write the Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA), which is separate from the report card.
How can I help my Grade 4 child at home?
Short, regular practice works better than long sessions: 10 to 15 minutes a few times a week, on the skills your child's teacher flags. Read together, use math in real life, and praise effort.
Practise Grade 4 skills with Gradelings
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