Doing the right thing is always good as long as you aren’t acting like a show-off. You may end up with a teacher that you won’t like. Try to do your best to give her/him a chance. Maybe, if you get to know them better, you’ll see that they’re a lot cooler than you originally thought. If, for some reason, you still aren’t their biggest fan, don’t make a big scene about it. In most cases, you’ll only have to deal with them for a year, so just make the best of the situation. Whatever you do, don’t spread rumors about your teacher. They will most likely get back to her/him, and she/he won’t be any more likely to treat you kindly. At the end of the day, they’re your teacher and you need to respect them. If you like your teacher, then it’s really easy to respect them! Although some fourth-grade teachers can be strict, others can be really nice.
For number-related math, go over rounding numbers to the hundreds and thousands places, multiplying 2-digit numbers, dividing by 2-digit numbers, and comparing fractions. If you’re learning advanced curriculum (which is common in private schools), review adding and subtracting decimal numbers, multiplying and dividing fractions, adding and subtracting mixed numbers, and using exponents and square roots. For fourth grade geometry, review the definitions of a line, point, segment, and a ray. You should also review classifying triangles and quadrilaterals. If you’re learning advanced curriculum (which is common in private schools), review classifying angles, relationships between lines (parallel and perpendicular lines), and classifying polygons.
Review subject-verb agreement and use basic punctuation for grammar. By this point, you’ve probably learned a lot of basic grammar rules, so you don’t have that many new concepts to learn. You may also learn about similes, metaphors, and idioms. [2] X Research source For writing, practice writing a report (this can help with your science fair if your school has one!) and persuasive essays if you can. You should also practice writing in sequence, using transition words like “Firstly”, “Next”, “In addition”, and “Last but not least” in your writing. These will help if you’re teaching younger kids something for a project or a biography, where you’ll have to list the person’s life from early childhood to their career, accomplishments, and death.
For reading, read chapter books and kids’ news articles. Books such as Frindle by Andrew Clements, The Bridge to Terabithia, The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume, Count Me In by Varsha Bajaj, Moo by Sharon Creech, and Front Desk by Kelly Yang are great reads for 4th grade [3] X Research source . If you want to read classics or older books, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving, Robin Hood, The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien, Matilda by Roald Dahl, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, and Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe are cool choices for older novels.
For biology/animal science, review human body systems. You will usually learn important ones such as the circulatory system, respiratory system, and the digestive system. You could also review the classification of animals into the following categories: mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and fish. [4] X Research source For Earth science, you could review weather patterns and analyze weather forecasts. You could also touch up on classifying rocks (igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic) and understanding how volcanoes and mountains form. You may also learn about the water cycle and natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, and tsunamis. For physical science, you may learn about mixtures. Other lessons in physical science include the states of matter and physical and chemical changes.
Many schools teach about the Middle Ages in fourth grade. You may learn about how serfs worked on manors, what medieval people did for fun, and important historical figures in the Middle Ages such as William I (William the Conqueror) and Charlemagne. Review your history textbook for information on the American Revolution, the Founding Fathers, Great Britain at the time of the revolution, and the first few presidents of the U. S. (George Washington, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson).
For math, draw diagrams and do a few example problems in your math notebook. If your school tells you to buy your own school supplies, buy a graph paper notebook. This will make it easier to line up numbers and draw shapes on coordinate planes. Your bar and line graphs will also be neater. For history, write down key events that happened, who was involved, and when they happened. For example, you could write, “12/16/1773 – Boston Tea Party – colonists dump 3 shiploads of British tea”. Don’t write complete sentences for your notes! Unless you’re writing down example sentences for grammar, writing whole sentences will waste your time when you want to write down as many points as possible. It will also tire out your hand faster. Use abbreviations, semicolons, bullet points, and fragments of sentences to make your notes concise. Remember, you’re not copying down the whole textbook!
Another benefit of studying is that you are prepared for pop quizzes. If you only study if you have a test, you may not be prepared if there is a surprise test. If you already study with or without tests, it becomes a habit, and you already know the information.
If you don’t understand something, raise your hand and ask a question, or simply ask the teacher to repeat what they said. [6] X Research source
Contrary to what some kids think, being a big bully/mean girl does not earn you friends. Sure, they may seem like friends to you on the outside, but on the inside, they may be as mean as you. They might make friends with you just to gain popularity, so they may fight with you to get “most popular”. They can also make friends with you to get closer to someone that is close to you. If you have an enemy in school (or even in the same class as you), it can be difficult to be nice to them. You’ll have to pretend for this one- just show basic politeness for them, and don’t help them with anything. If they ask, just claim that you’re busy or you’re not sure how to help them.
Don’t try to whisper to your buddy during class or during an inappropriate time (e. g. during an assembly or during a trip to the principal’s office). That may get you into trouble, so don’t do it often. If you do this too often, your reputation may downgrade. You may be known as “too chatty” or “a distraction”.
During a club, you can talk to the people sitting next to you. If you’re making a project (say, for robotics), discuss with the people next to you, for example, how to code the robot to make it move in a circle 3 times.
Join more clubs. As you’re older now, you may want to explore your interests. Instead of blindly going to a club with your friends even though you aren’t interested in it, join something you really want to join without being worried about judgment. You may even find a new interest that you enjoy, such as singing in the choir or coding robots.
If you’re running for any of these positions, you will need a speech and possibly a campaign poster. Write your name in large letters on your poster and make it colorful for others to notice it and actually read what it says. You could also think of a creative slogan. For example, Whig party delegates William Henry Harrison and John Tyler had a catchy slogan in the 1840 U. S. elections; “Tippecanoe and Tyler Too”, which was originally published as “Tip and Ty”. [7] X Research source For your speech, start with an interesting hook. This could be an inspiring quote, something interesting about you, or traits that other world leaders had that made them amazing. Next, write down a few reasons why you would make a great leader. Then, provide examples of you being kind, responsible, respectful, caring, intelligent, etc. You should have around 5 paragraphs for your speech; the first paragraph being the intro, the second one being the 1st reason, the third one about the second reason why kids should vote for you, the fourth one being your third/last reason, and the fifth one as a summary/conclusion.
Get a training bra for developing breasts. One of the early signs of puberty in females is breast growth, so if you feel nickel-sized bumps on each of your breasts, it may be time to buy one. Deal with a period in elementary school. If you get a period in elementary school, you are not abnormal or strange. It’s just that you started earlier than the average age of menarche (the first period), which is the age of 12. Remember to not back down or feel embarrassed, even when immature kids tease you about your period. Everyone gets it, so when you go to middle school, many more girls will go through the same things as you.
Try to understand their point of view and explain your point of view to them. Make up a compromise if you still cannot solve the argument. You may want to get a mediator (like a teacher) if the argument is heated.
If you have a mean teacher, do not give up. Try your hardest and show some respect for the teacher. They might lighten up with you. If they continue to unfairly treat you, talk to your parents and the principal about the situation. If you are getting yelled at, don’t be embarrassed. Besides, nobody can be perfect, and now you’ll know to learn from your mistakes. If a kid tries to unfairly get you in trouble, talk to the teacher or an adult to explain what happened, but don’t get revenge!
The teachers will want you and your classmates to act as role models for the third graders, second graders, first graders, and kindergartners, so do not act immaturely. Make friends with some mature fifth graders to be seen as more mature. They could help you cut down on your bad habits and transform you to become more mature. If you have younger siblings, your parents may tell you to help look after them. Your younger siblings (no matter if they’re in third grade, second grade, first grade, kindergarten, pre-k, or preschool) will likely look up to you as a mature, responsible role model.
