Maryland ELA W.4.5
The Standard
With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1-3 up to and including grade 4).
Maryland College and Career Ready Standards for English Language Arts (2025)
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students make a simple plan before drafting. They use a partner's or teacher's feedback to improve their ideas, then check grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student can put ideas in a useful order before writing. After feedback, they can strengthen a weak reason or detail and correct errors without changing what they mean.
Common Misconceptions
- Some students think revising means fixing spelling. Others use every peer suggestion, even when it does not help. They may forget to check sentences again after revising.
How to Assess It
- Give pairs this draft: 'We need more lunch time because it would be better. After we eat we could talk.' Have each student list two reasons, ask a partner which one to add, revise the first sentence, and fix the missing comma.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give students three sticky notes for a story's beginning, middle, and end; have them arrange the notes before drafting.
Show 'My dog is nice' and ask, 'What could the writer add so we can see what nice means?'
Give pairs a paragraph with a weak reason and two punctuation errors; award points for a stronger reason and each correct edit.
Write a note to the principal requesting more recess; swap for one suggestion, revise a reason, and edit punctuation before sharing.
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Printable W.4.5 Worksheet
A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to W.4.5, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.
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Related Standards
- W.5.5
With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach. (...
- W.3.5
With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing. (Editing for conventions should de...
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