The target grade level selected is fourth grade. Students ages in the fourth grade range from nine years old to ten years old.
Social Development of Fourth Grade
Fourth grade students are becoming socially active. Children are trying to conform with other students their age, as well as noticing their own unique characteristics. He or she are becoming more independent from their families. Since, they are discovering their independence they are becoming adventurous by testing the limits and negotiating the rules. Fourth graders are becoming “curious and actively involved in their own learning and the discovery and development of new schemas” Vygotsky and Piaget believe (McLeod, 2014).Children are spending more time with their friends, …show more content…
At this age, student’s bodies are changing and puberty is starting. In addition, they are insecure and have a variety of moods (Morin, 2018). Since their emotions are fluctuating, parents and teacher should speaker to their children with encourage more during this age than any other age. According to research conducted at Leiden University in the Netherlands, researchers “discovered that the basal ganglia [which is a] clusters of brain cells at the brain’s base that are affiliated with movement. [A] nine year olds ‘responded strongly’ to positive feedback” (Pellissier, 2017). On the other hand, when fourth grade students respond to negative feedback they freeze because their cognitive control center is afraid (Pellissier, 2017). In addition, this is supported by Vygotsky stating language is a “powerful tool of intellectual adaptation” (McLeod, …show more content…
Supported by the Florida state standard that states CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.5 “with guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing” (English Language Arts Standards, 2018). Student will still have support from the teacher and classmates by students will be become more independent, scaffolding the learning process. For example, the teacher can have a writing workshop day where the student work in pairs and revise and edit each other essays. This will allow students to view other styles of writing as well. Further teacher support, students can work independently on an opinion piece, support by the Florida state standard CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.1, students will “write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information” (English Language Arts Standards, 2018). Students will work independently improving the skill and techniques taught to them. The opinion piece of writing will be a perfect place to start independently because it is familiar to the students and always the teacher to see the student’s