Kentucky Reading and Writing C.4.2.d

ELA4th GradeComposition

The Standard

C.4.2: Compose informative and/or explanatory texts, using writing and digital resources, to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.

Use grade-appropriate conjunctions to connect sentences and paragraphs.

Kentucky Academic Standards for Reading and Writing (2025) · Text Types and Purpose

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students use words such as because, but, and so to show how ideas fit together. They use a conjunction in the first sentence of a new paragraph to link it to the paragraph before it.
What Mastery Looks Like: They use because to give a reason and but to show a contrast without changing the meaning. They can begin a new paragraph with a sentence such as 'Although it rained, the game continued' to link back to an earlier paragraph about the weather.
Common Misconceptions: Students use and when the ideas actually contrast. They reverse cause and effect, writing 'It rained because the sidewalk was wet.' They may start an although sentence but never finish the thought.
How to Assess It: Ask students to combine 'The seeds needed water. We watered them.' using so. Then have them start a new paragraph about seeds that did not sprout using but.

Lesson moves

Give pairs 'It rained' and 'We stayed inside' strips; join them with so, then start a second paragraph with 'But we still played.'
Compare 'It rained because the sidewalk was wet' with 'The sidewalk was wet because it rained'; ask which makes sense and why.
Race to match sentence cards to because, but, or so cards; each pair explains why its choice fits.
Have students write a two-paragraph field day notice about rain; start paragraph two with 'Because the field is wet, ...'

Free download

A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to C.4.2.d, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.

PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.

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