How to Homeschool Fourth Grade
Thinking about homeschooling your 4th grader? As you and your child head on to this new adventure it is important to set the right expectations to make your experience a joyful one.
On this page we provide you with some tips and advice on how to homeschool a fourth grader, what subjects you can include and more, to help your child reach all their 4th grade learning objectives.
How to Homeschool Fourth Grade
We recommend following the steps below to start homeschooling fourth grade:
- Look up your state’s homeschooling requirements
- Select the ideal curriculum for your family
- Create goals and figure out your schedule
- Calculate your homeschooling costs based on your budget
- Make sure to track your child’s progress
- Include fun in your daily schedule
With Time4Learning, homeschooling 4th grade is a breeze. Our lesson plans provide all the details parents need to teach their children. Check out our 4th grade curriculum page for more information.
What Schedule is Best for a Fourth Grader
So, how many hours a day should you homeschool a fourth grader? Most homeschoolers agree that approximately 45 minutes per subject per day is enough. However, you as the parent know your child best and how they learn best. Adjust the schedule as you see fit based on your child’s and family’s needs.
The beauty of homeschooling is that you get to teach your child one-on-one. And this will usually take less time than in a traditional school setting where there are more kids competing for the teacher’s attention.
Homeschooling Planner
Start planning out your homeschooling days with this free easy to use daily planner.
What Subjects are Taught in Fourth Grade
For the most part, parents have the flexibility to determine the subjects they teach in their homeschool. However, some states may have some subject requirements that you’ll need to fulfill in order to stay compliant. Be sure to check your state’s homeschooling laws to find out.
That said, fourth graders typically study:
- Math
- Language Arts Curriculum for Fourth Grade
- Science Curriculum for Fourth Grade
- Social studies
- Physical education
- Art and more
Does your state require standardized testing for fourth grade homeschoolers? You may also want to research what subjects are assessed so you can be sure to cover those in your instruction.
Fourth Grade Learning Objectives
In 4th grade, students should already be able to adequately read and write on their own, as well as work with numbers in the millions. Mastering math facts should be one of your child’s top fourth grade learning objectives, as this will help them succeed in the years ahead of them.
Below are just a few sample objectives you can set for your 4th grade homeschooler:
- Fully understanding multiplication
- Gaining a solid grasp on division
- Working with fractions and decimals
- Testing hypothesis to prove or disprove a problem
- Understanding the water cycle
- Having a better understanding of the world of animals and organisms
- Writing larger personal texts and generating larger reports on subjects
- Understanding different genres and spending more time reading books that they enjoy
- Learning prefixes and suffixes
- Knowing the history and geography of the state they live in
- Having a working knowledge of different cultures
- Understanding how local and state governments are structured
- Increasing the knowledge of the federal government and the balance of powers
Reading Book List for Fourth Grade
While there’s a wealth of books to choose from for your fourth grader, the reading book list for fourth grade is a good starting point:
- As Brave As You by Jason Reynolds
- “Who Could That Be at This Hour?”: All the Wrong Questions Book 1 by Lemony Snicket
- Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary
- James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
- Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume
Students have access to a variety of excerpts on several topics with Time4Learning’s fourth grade language arts curriculum. Your children will boost their vocabulary, improve their reading and comprehension skills, and better understand character conflicts.
Fourth Grade Homeschooling Tips & Ideas
Every homeschooling family is different, but the one thing you all have in common is the need for a plan. And that plan may change each year because your kids change as they grow older.
As you plan the year ahead, making sure you keep things fun and organized will make your homeschooling journey a lot smoother and enjoyable. Below are some fourth grade homeschooling ideas to help you kickstart the new year.
- Be flexible: Homeschooling gives you the luxury of experimenting with different schedules, curricula, and almost everything else. That’s why parents find it so appealing. It’s not a rigid process, so if your initial schedule is not working out, make some adjustments — it’s okay.
- Surrender some power: Now that your child is in fourth grade, they’re probably a bit more vocal about their opinions, likes and dislikes. Allow them some freedom to express themselves and perhaps choose a few things they’d like to learn about. This encourages independence.
- Incorporate outside learning opportunities: Field trips, visits to the park or even the grocery store or eating out provide great teaching moments. They not only break up the normal routine, they give your kids a chance to expand their education through real-world learning.
- Include technology: Using a computer or smartphone is almost second nature to kids. And now they can actually interact with them as they do their lessons — and it’s fun. Using technology also strengthens their knowledge of computers, which is a huge boost in today’s tech-based world.
- Make time for friends: This is actually something that applies to all grade levels. All kids need time to socialize, so make sure to squeeze in some time with friends in your schedule. You can also join homeschool groups that suit your needs to provide additional socialization for your child and give you a chance to chat with other homeschoolers.
- Use hands-on activities: Some kids enjoy using their hands and head to figure out problems. Science projects and math concepts can be taught using this method. Include experiments, model building, sewing or anything else that interests your child.
- Don’t forget to play: Board games, outdoor activities, and computer games all help your children learn different skills. They also inject some fun into your day.
- Keep it clean: Sometimes, homeschooling parents get so caught up with their daily routines that they don’t see the growing mess in front of them. An uncluttered and efficiently designed homeschool room promotes learning. Take a little time each day to clean up.
- Read Everyday: Reading should always be part of your schedule. Most experts suggest that children read between 20-30 minutes everyday. Here are two helpful hints, let your child pick the books that interest them the most. This keeps them motivated. Also, start introducing other genres and topics to improve their reading skills and all-around knowledge of different subjects.
How Time4Learning Can Help You Homeschool Your 4th Grader
Time4Learning is an award winning curriculum that has inspired over 600,000 customers in the past 15 years. It is a top choice for parents who are thinking about how to homeschool a fourth grader because of the many benefits it provides.
Kids love the interactive lessons that encourage independent learning and parents appreciate the many perks that make their homeschool routine more efficient and less stressful. Time4Learning allows your kids to learn at their own pace and grasp new concepts in a fun environment. And there’s more:
- Interactive lessons that resemble video games, which keep your child focused.
- An automated grading and reporting system that helps you keep track of your student’s progress.
- A detailed fourth grade scope and sequence allows you to see what your child will be learning.
- The freedom to redo lessons and activities, and take tests and quizzes over.
- Student-paced learning lets your child progress at their personal learning rate.
- Easy access to materials in the third-grade for review purposes.
- Optional worksheets and hands-on activities provide plenty of practice for fourth graders to supplement the online lessons.
- As a bonus, Time4Learning includes Time4MathFacts in the fourth grade. This program helps students master addition, subtraction, multiplication and division facts that are important for building a solid foundation for a successful future in math.
- Parent forums where homeschoolers go for support and interaction with one another.
- A totally web-based product with nothing to download.
- 24/7 access so your child can learn from wherever the internet is available.
- Correlates to all state standards.
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