How to Write a Report in 4th Grade

Where to Start When Writing a Report for Class

As a 4th grader, you're probably familiar with the basics of an outline, which include topic introduction, main points and a concluding statement. Creating an outline prior to writing a report can be beneficial because you will have a better idea of what points you want to cover and in what order. Additionally, organization is important in report writing because it helps your readers make sense of the message you're trying to convey. If you know enough about your topic, go ahead and begin filling in your outline. If you don't, you may have to do some reading to come up with your main points before diving in further.

Five Steps for Report Writing

Research and Take Notes

As a 4th grader, you will likely be expected to conduct a small amount of research to help you write your report. This may be done using both print and digital sources, like books, articles and websites. As you gather information, it may be a good idea to take notes on each piece of information you think will be useful and where you found it so it's easier to create your bibliography page at the end. Be sure to use your outline while researching your topic so that you're able to determine what information you still need.

Organize

The organization and flow of your report will depend on whether it's persuasive or informative in nature. The main points in a persuasive report may be organized based on the problem and solution or order of importance. The points of an informative report could be arranged chronologically, in steps or by what will make the most sense to readers. You may have already begun to organize with your outline, but you should start adding more details to your main topics during this step.

Paraphrase

Now that you have your main points organized into logical sections, it's time to reference the notes you took during research. Unless you're using an exact quotation, you must remember to paraphrase the information using your own words. If you find it challenging to reword the information from your research, try writing down only small pieces instead of large sections so that you're better able to mix and match the information in your own summary.

Write and Add Details

Once you've completed your research, organized your main points and paraphrased the information you've gathered, it's time to write out full sentences to make each of your body paragraphs. Typically, you will want to include two or three supporting details for each main point.

Cite Sources

Creating a bibliography page may or may not be necessary, depending on what type of report you're writing. If you are unsure if you need one, it's better to double check with your teacher than to leave it out and risk getting points taken off later. This page will reference where you found information on your topic, including general information, quotes, statistics, definitions and more. Typically, this will either be the last page of your report or a completely separate document.