ELA header image

About me:

     This is my 2nd year at BES.  Last year was my first year teaching in my own classroom and I LOVED teaching at Bradford Elementary! 
     I grew up in West Virginia and Ohio, but moved to TN when I was 15.   I live nearby, in Martin, with my husband, Brian and 3 children: JohnRobert (16), Norah (13), and Emilee (10).  We have a dog named Big Boy and a cat named Cosmo.  
     I graduated from UT-Martin with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education for grades K-5 in 2022 after being a stay at home mom with my kids for a long time.  I had the privilege of being home with all three of my kids until they started school.  When my youngest went to K, I went back to college to finish up my degree. 
      Last year was so much FUN!  I am looking forward a new school year and I can't wait to see all that we will accomplish together as team in 4th grade! 
teacher pic small

4th grade Strategies & Skills

Unit 3: Week 1
[Open Syllables]

judo          minor          patriot
recent       license       media
fable          baby          vapor
total          slogan         before
  • Complete Sentences vs. Fragments/ Run-Ons
  • Vowel Teams Spellings
  • Prepositions/Prepositional Phrases
  • Roots & Affixes (Prefixes & Suffixes)
  • Adjectives
  • Modal Auxilaries
  • Informational Essays
  • Narrative Essays
  •  Opinion/ Argumentative Essays

Expectations for writing in 4th grade:
Multi-paragraph essay

We use this: 
     -Introduction (1 paragraph)
     -Body (1 or more paragraphs)
     -Conclusion (1 paragraph)

TN Writing Rubrics
*We aim for a score of 4 in each section.  To accomplish this, we should focus on meeting as many indicators across the top row as possible.

This is a BIG step up from the 3rd grade expectations!  Practice makes Progress!


  • Text Structure
  • Use of Figurative language
    -idoms, similes, metaphors,
     personification, alliteration,
     onomatopoeia, hyperbole
  • Main Idea/Key Details
The History of the U.S. 
from Colonization (1700's) to Reconstruction (1870's)
Student Textbook

UPCOMING EVENTS

  • ELA Tutoring is available on Mondays & Thursdays from 3-4pm.
  • Report Cards (1st 9 weeks) will
    go home on Friday, Oct. 12th.
  • BES FALL Festival - Oct. 20th.
    (Early Dismissal day)
  • Red Ribbon Week: Oct. 25-31
    Dress up days: TBA

Who says ELA has to be boring?

*Current Year above
Last School Year below

Resource Links

For Parents:

For Students:

Clever Login
Access your child's digital learning tools (iXL's, etc...) via this Clever link. 
Contact Me
aferrell@bradfordspecial.com