A student expectation is directly related to the knowledge and skills statement, is more specific about how students demonstrate their learning, and always begins with a verb. Student expectations are further broken down into their component parts, often referred to as “breakouts.”
Developing and sustaining foundational language skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking--vocabulary. The student uses newly acquired vocabulary expressively.
A knowledge and skills statement is a broad statement of what students must know and be able to do. It generally begins with a learning strand and ends with the phrase “The student is expected to:” Knowledge and skills statements always include related student expectations.
Demonstrated Proficiency of ELA.4.3.D
Provide a text that includes homophones. Task students with identifying the homophones and describing the meaning of each. Then, have students write a sentence or two using the homophones in their correct context.
Homophones you may wish to use:
Reign/rain
Right/write
Whole/hole
Peace/piece
Grate/great
To/two/too
Wait/weight
There/their/they’re
Threw/through
Its/it’s
Your/you’re
Who’s/whose
Weather/whether
Further Explanation
This assessment requires students to use context clues to determine the meaning of homophones. As homophones sound the same, students cannot rely on pronunciation to determine meaning of the words. Students must use the context of the sentence along with background knowledge and exposure to the words to determine meaning. Frequent exposure to homophones will lead to automaticity.
Students may benefit from keeping a list of homophones in their reading or writing notebook. Creating an illustration to accompany homophone use will support visual learners.
Glossary Support for ELA.4.3.D
words that sound the same but are spelled differently and have completely different meanings (e.g., right and write)
Homophones are words that sound the same but are spelled differently and have completely different meanings (e.g., reign/rain). In listening, students might use context clues to determine which homophone the speaker is using. For example, in a class discussion about soil properties, students can assume that soil retains water from rain not reign. In reading, students can rely on spelling to determine which homophone the author is using. For example, when students see the phrase “reign over the kingdom” in print, the spelling of reign should cue students that the author is not referring to precipitation but to the rule of a king or queen.
Students are expected to consider the spelling and/or context in which a homophone occurs. The spelling and context will help students determine which homophone the author or speaker intends to use and describe the definition of the homophone and why it is the appropriate word to use. For example, fourth-grade students should be able to correctly use and explain homophones such as reign/rain and to/two/too.