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Core Knowledge
What Your Fourth Grader Needs to Know: Fundamentals of a Good Fourth-Grade Education
A guide to elementary education describes what an educated child should know at the fourth grade level, discusses various subjects, and suggests learning activities
395 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1992
77 people are currently reading
174 people want to read
About the author
E.D. Hirsch Jr.
81Ìýbooks107ÌýfollowersE. D. Hirsch, Jr. is the founder and chairman of the Core Knowledge Foundation and professor emeritus of education and humanities at the University of Virginia. He is the author of several acclaimed books on education in which he has persisted as a voice of reason making the case for equality of educational opportunity.
A highly regarded literary critic and professor of English earlier in his career, Dr. Hirsch recalls being “shocked into education reform� while doing research on written composition at a pair of colleges in Virginia. During these studies he observed that a student’s ability to comprehend a passage was determined in part by the relative readability of the text, but even more by the student’s background knowledge.
This research led Dr. Hirsch to develop his concept of cultural literacy—the idea that reading comprehension requires not just formal decoding skills but also wide-ranging background knowledge. In 1986 he founded the Core Knowledge Foundation. A year later he published Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know, which remained at the top of the New York Times bestseller list for more than six months. His subsequent books include The Schools We Need, The Knowledge Deficit, The Making of Americans, and most recently, How to Educate a Citizen: The Power of Shared Knowledge to Unify a Nation.
In How to Educate a Citizen (September, 2020), E.D. Hirsch continues the conversation he began thirty years ago with his classic bestseller Cultural Literacy, urging America’s public schools, particularly in Preschool � Grade 8, to educate our children using common, coherent and sequenced curricula to help heal and preserve the nation.
A highly regarded literary critic and professor of English earlier in his career, Dr. Hirsch recalls being “shocked into education reform� while doing research on written composition at a pair of colleges in Virginia. During these studies he observed that a student’s ability to comprehend a passage was determined in part by the relative readability of the text, but even more by the student’s background knowledge.
This research led Dr. Hirsch to develop his concept of cultural literacy—the idea that reading comprehension requires not just formal decoding skills but also wide-ranging background knowledge. In 1986 he founded the Core Knowledge Foundation. A year later he published Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know, which remained at the top of the New York Times bestseller list for more than six months. His subsequent books include The Schools We Need, The Knowledge Deficit, The Making of Americans, and most recently, How to Educate a Citizen: The Power of Shared Knowledge to Unify a Nation.
In How to Educate a Citizen (September, 2020), E.D. Hirsch continues the conversation he began thirty years ago with his classic bestseller Cultural Literacy, urging America’s public schools, particularly in Preschool � Grade 8, to educate our children using common, coherent and sequenced curricula to help heal and preserve the nation.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
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March 1, 2021We read and enjoyed the Ethiopian tale, “The Fire on the Mountain� and Chinese tale, “The Wonderful Chuang Brocade.�
May 26, 2022
I was fooled by seeing E.D. Hirsch’s name on this book; he’s actually listed as an editor. There are 12 people listed as writers, and 17 as �Advisors on Multiculturalism�. That should have been a clue.
Hirsch’s 1984 �Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know� is one of the best books of its topic: sane, sensible and very well-informed. It had no obvious political ax to grind. His 1996 � Books to Build On: A Grade-by-Grade Resource Guide for Parents and Teachers (Core Knowledge Series)� is a solid collection that should please most classical teachers. It is based on his �Core Knowledge� curriculum (absolutely not part of the ‘Common Core�).
Even with �Books to Build on� there were hat tips to some fairly silly comments, but that was addressed to teachers and parents; �What Your Fourth Grader Needs to Know� should reasonably be a text book for children around nine or ten. I am much more careful with anything that has a political bias when it comes to children. They are such innocents.
I knew I was in trouble when I opened the book at random and found under �The Legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table�:
Hirsch’s 1984 �Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know� is one of the best books of its topic: sane, sensible and very well-informed. It had no obvious political ax to grind. His 1996 � Books to Build On: A Grade-by-Grade Resource Guide for Parents and Teachers (Core Knowledge Series)� is a solid collection that should please most classical teachers. It is based on his �Core Knowledge� curriculum (absolutely not part of the ‘Common Core�).
Even with �Books to Build on� there were hat tips to some fairly silly comments, but that was addressed to teachers and parents; �What Your Fourth Grader Needs to Know� should reasonably be a text book for children around nine or ten. I am much more careful with anything that has a political bias when it comes to children. They are such innocents.
I knew I was in trouble when I opened the book at random and found under �The Legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table�:
The most famous of these knights was King Arthur, thought to be the greatest British king of those long-ago days. To promote equality and unity, he seated his knights at an enormous round table.Quite apart from the implication that King Arthur was a real person (‘the greatest British king�), the Middle Ages in Europe (like elsewhere) weren’t big on equity. They were more into heroic mass slaughter.
January 8, 2022
This book is plain fascinating. I learned so much, especially about science. I kept asking myself how I never knew all this stuff as an educated woman with ample teaching experience.
I've heard teachings on several of the topics many times before, but the way these concepts are explained in this volume sheds new light.
The section about weather is extremely interesting. I don't know how such a reference book for kids can so easily encapsulate the essence of topics in ways that are so understandable yet sophisticated! I think that if high schoolers read this volume, they would probably do much better in their chemistry and other classes.
I got these books originally to study for my credentialing tests, and here I am, years later, reading for guilty pleasure! I have cases full of good adult-geared books to tackle, but I'm thinking I'll read the fifth grade book next instead.
I've heard teachings on several of the topics many times before, but the way these concepts are explained in this volume sheds new light.
The section about weather is extremely interesting. I don't know how such a reference book for kids can so easily encapsulate the essence of topics in ways that are so understandable yet sophisticated! I think that if high schoolers read this volume, they would probably do much better in their chemistry and other classes.
I got these books originally to study for my credentialing tests, and here I am, years later, reading for guilty pleasure! I have cases full of good adult-geared books to tackle, but I'm thinking I'll read the fifth grade book next instead.
June 1, 2018
I buy a grade-appropriate copy of this book every year. It’s like my life-line to degreed teachers and traditional classrooms. (It comforts me.) I’ve never yet figured out how to use it within the educational experience, but I can at least reference it out of curiosity. I have read the literature readings to my son most years, but I never use the common phrases or whatever they are. We did use it to do some review before taking the end of year tests, this year, and that was mildly helpful. (Note: Science and history will vary, obviously, as different schools break it down different. While many kids around here were doing local history and general science this year, I was teaching early world history and botany and zoology. It’ll all come out in the wash.)
March 13, 2018
Great resource
This is a great source of to keep pace with public education. As we enter the homeschool realm, we can keep up with the basics learned in a classroom. Also, if you are in school, this is a good way to keep up with what your child is learning and if her class is up to date on core curriculum. It also helps supplement if she needs further help understanding concepts because this book does a great job of overall explanation.
This is a great source of to keep pace with public education. As we enter the homeschool realm, we can keep up with the basics learned in a classroom. Also, if you are in school, this is a good way to keep up with what your child is learning and if her class is up to date on core curriculum. It also helps supplement if she needs further help understanding concepts because this book does a great job of overall explanation.
June 18, 2011
There was a time when my district wrestled with whole school reform (that appears to be another program that we spent a lot of money on that was abandoned). When it was first posited, we examined a lot of programs. The one that captured my fancy was Modern Red Schoolhouse. Hirsch's curriculum was the backbone of that.
I love this series. I wish we had adopted it. Hirsch's approach is through the classics. Yup, that's me!
This takes one through all the stories a fourth grader should be familiar with, mathematical concepts, science, history, etc. I find it fascinating.
I read Rip Van Winkle to my students because of this. I cover all of the mathematics. I try to present some of the history, but the reality is that my students don't have enough background to handle all it.
I love this series. I wish we had adopted it. Hirsch's approach is through the classics. Yup, that's me!
This takes one through all the stories a fourth grader should be familiar with, mathematical concepts, science, history, etc. I find it fascinating.
I read Rip Van Winkle to my students because of this. I cover all of the mathematics. I try to present some of the history, but the reality is that my students don't have enough background to handle all it.
August 3, 2012
I know that there is a lot of controversy in some arenas (especially the multicultural education world) about this book and other books by E. D. Hirsch and his Core Knowledge philosophy, but I feel Hirsch has done a fabulous job identifying knowledge that is valuable for everyone to know. Plus, this background knowledge will help improve literacy. I don't advocate that Esperanza be a "Core Knowledge" school, but I feel it would be extremely helpful for every teacher to be familiar with Hirsch's book for his/her grade level and adopt it where appropriate.
Not only is the knowledge in these books valuable for young learners, but I, as an adult, learn so much.
Not only is the knowledge in these books valuable for young learners, but I, as an adult, learn so much.
June 28, 2010
Each book in this series is good - I have read several now, and I haven't seen a difference in how much I liked or disliked them. But as always, my critique is the black and white pictures that accompany the text. I really wish that these books would be released in full color. I think that'd make all the difference in the world.
July 7, 2010
I LOVE this series of books! I use them for our summer "school" sessions at home. They are great preparation for the school year ahead. I recommend them whenever I can, and I'm willing to loan them. :)
August 16, 2011
This would be great for parents to use as an at-home supplement and it provides teachers with some ideas but it doesn't match state cores very well. The math section seemed to be the most accurate for the fourth grade level.
January 8, 2008
I use as reference book.
December 3, 2013
Great information as we transition to homeschooling!
October 28, 2016
Wasting the time with more useless information just to have a TV quiz show answering machine at home. It is nationalistic and written from the narrow perspective of the white colonialists.
November 1, 2008
Using this for basic knowledge.
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