4th Grade Reading Check-Up

Sixteen questions that show where your child is with the big 4th grade reading skills: Greek and Latin word parts, figurative language, theme in a story, and the main idea and details of a nonfiction passage. Your child reads on their own. It takes about 15 minutes.

Before you start

This check-up covers what most children can do by the end of 4th grade. Early in the year, lower scores in roots and figurative language are expected.

The check-up

A. Roots and affixes RF.4.3a, L.4.4b

1. The root tele means far. A telescope helps you…
2. The root port means carry. Which word means able to be carried?
3. What does disagree mean?
4. Which word means the act of deciding?

B. Word meanings L.4.4a, L.4.5a, L.4.5c

5. The classroom was a zoo. What does this mean?
6. Which sentence uses a simile?
7. Which word is the opposite of ancient?
8. The hikers were exhausted after the long, steep climb. Exhausted means…

C. Reading a story RL.4.1, RL.4.2, RL.4.3

The Science Fair

For weeks, Jonah had worked on his volcano. He mixed the paste, painted the sides and practiced the eruption a dozen times. On the morning of the science fair, he tripped on the school steps, and the volcano cracked down the middle. Jonah stared at the pieces. His throat felt tight. Then he noticed the crack showed the tube inside, the part that carried the baking soda and vinegar to the top. He grabbed a marker and wrote a new sign: Inside a Volcano. All morning, students crowded around to see how it worked. Jonah didn't win a ribbon, but he walked home grinning.

9. What happened to Jonah's volcano?
10. His throat felt tight shows that Jonah was…
11. Why did students crowd around the volcano?
12. What is the theme of the story?

D. Reading nonfiction RI.4.1, RI.4.2, RI.4.4

Sleeping Through Winter

When winter comes, food becomes hard to find. Some animals solve this problem by hibernating. During hibernation, an animal's body slows down. Its heartbeat drops, its breathing slows and its body temperature falls. A woodchuck's heart, for example, can slow from about 80 beats a minute to just 5. Because its body works so slowly, the animal uses very little energy and can live for months on fat it stored in the fall. Not every sleepy animal truly hibernates, though. Bears sleep deeply in winter, but their body temperature drops only a little, so many scientists use a different word for their winter rest.

13. What is the main idea of the passage?
14. Which detail supports the main idea?
15. How do hibernating animals get energy?
16. Why do some scientists use a different word for bears' winter rest?

What the check-up covers

Each section matches part of the Common Core 4th grade English Language Arts standards, which most US states use: foundational skills, language, literature and informational text.

What to practice next

The results show a practice link for every section your child found hard. Here they all are in one place:

Practice one area at a time, about 10 minutes a day, and take the check-up again in three or four weeks. See the full year on the 4th grade skills page.

Other grades

If this check-up was very easy or very hard, try the grade above or below.

Kindergarten 1st Grade 2nd Grade 3rd Grade 5th Grade All check-ups

Last reviewed: November 11, 2026

Questions parents ask

What should a 4th grader be able to read by the end of the year?

Most can use Greek and Latin roots and affixes to read new words, understand similes, metaphors and idioms, state the theme of a story, and explain the main idea of a nonfiction passage with details that support it.

My child got the facts right but missed the theme question. Is that normal?

Very. Theme is one of the hardest 4th grade skills. After a story, ask: what did the character learn, and what could we learn from it too?

My child got a low score. Should I worry?

One check-up is a snapshot, not a diagnosis. Practice one area at a time and check again in a month. If reading is still a struggle, talk to your child's teacher.

Is anything saved or sent anywhere?

No. The answers are scored in your browser and disappear when you leave the page.