Mathematics: Grade 4
Core Question 1:
What can I do to help my child prepare for 4th grade?
Some of the math that your child is learning now won’t be as easy to work into the normal activities of
daily life. Reviewing concepts from third grade will help them catch on to the skills
that they will be learning in 4th grade. Any time you find yourself using any type of
math from the calculator or measuring shelf liner, try to involve your child. Many
tasks may be slowed down but the rewards will be
reaped when your child learns their math concepts
in 4th grade quickly. Try to discuss terminology like
“Parallel Parking” and laying something perpendicular to a particular item.
Core Question 2:
What will my child learn throughout the year during 4th grade?
In Grade 4, Instruction time should focus on three critical areas, (1) developing understanding and
fluency with multi-digit multiplication, and developing understanding of dividing to find quotients
involving multi-digit dividends; (2) developing an understanding of fraction equivalence, addition and
subtraction of fractions with like denominators, and multiplication of fractions by whole numbers; (3)
understanding that geometric figures can be analyzed and classified based on their properties, such as
having parallel sides, perpendicular sides, particular angle measures, and symmetry
What can I do at home to support what’s being learned at school?
Think about the ways you use math in your everyday life---at work, at the store, at the bank, in the
kitchen, and so on. Invite your child to observe and/or participate in these activities with you.
Encourage your child to think mathematically about common activities, such as folding laundry or taking
out the garbage---How many socks are in 12 pair? About how many pounds does a bag of trash weigh
(weigh your child and then weigh child with bag of trash, then subtract)?
Geometry
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Help your child identify real world examples of right angles (the corner of a book) and parallel
lines (railroad tracks).
Make a shapes scrapbook or create a collage of labeled shapes. Images can be taken from
newspapers, magazines, and photographs.
Hide an object in a room of your house and give your child directions for finding it. Your child
can move only according to your directions, and the directions can be given only in fractions or
degrees. For example, say “Make a ¼ turn and walk 3 1/2 s. Now, turn 180 degrees and walk 4
steps.” Switch roles and have your child hide an object and give you directions to find it.
Make a game of identifying and classifying angles: acute (less than 90 degrees), obtuse
(between 90 and 180 degrees), right (90 degrees), straight (180 degrees), and reflex (between
180 and 360 degrees) in everyday things (buildings, bridges, ramps, furniture).
Books to Read and Discuss Together:
Grandfather Tang’s Story by Ann Tompert
Grandfather tells a story about shape-changing fox fairies who try to best each other until a hunter
brings danger to both of them.
The Art of Shapes for Children and Adults by Margaret Steele and Cindy Estes
Uses figures extracted from contemporary works of art to present various shapes, including the star,
diamond, and cone.
Round is a Mooncake by Roseanne Thong
As a little girl discovers things round, square, and rectangular in her urban neighborhood. She is
reminded of her Chinese American culture.
When a Line Bends…A Shape Begins by Rhonda Gowler Greene
Rhymed text describes how shapes are made from simple lines. Some of the verses appear on the page
in the shape they describe.
Pigs on the Ball: Fun with Math and Sports by Amy Axelrod
The Pig family visits a miniature golf course and learns about shapes, angles, and geometry.
Sir Cumference and the Great Knight of Angleland: A Math Adventure by Cindy Neuschwander,
Mummy Math: An Adventure in Math by Cindy Neuschwander,
Multiplication and Division
Continue practicing multiplication and division facts by using fact triangles and fact families or by playing
Everyday Math games online.
Practice extended facts with your child. Start with 3x3, 3x30, 3x300, and then try 3x3000. Have your
child make up extended facts for you to calculate.
Books to Read and Discuss Together:
A Place for Zero by Angeline Sparagna LoPresti
As Zero searches to find his place, he learns of his additive and multiplicative identities, and then he
establishes place value.
Amand Bean’s Amazing Dream: A Mathematical Story by Cindy Neuschwander
Amanda loves to count everything, but not until she has an amazing dream does she finally realize that
being able to multiply will help her count things faster.
The Best of Times: Math Strategies That Multiply by Greg Tang
Simple rhymes offer hints on how to multiply any number by zero through ten without memorizing the
multiplication tables.
Math Appeal by Greg Tang
Rhyming anecdotes present opportunities for simple math activities and hints for solving.
Bats on Parade by Kathi Appelt
On a midsummer's night the Marching Bat Band makes a rare appearance, its members grouped in
formations that demonstrate multiplication from two times two up to ten times ten.
Money
Gather money from piggy banks or wallets. Ask your child to show you two different amounts, such as
$1.33 and $4.20. Practice adding or subtracting the amounts. Your child can use a calculator to check
the answers.
Books to Read and Discuss Together:
Follow the Money by Loreen Leedy
A quarter describes all the ways it is used from the time it is minted until it is taken back to a bank.
Pigs Will Be Pigs by Amy Axelrod
The hungry Pig family learns about money and buying power as they turn the house upside down
looking for enough money to buy dinner at the local restaurant.
Pigs Go to Market: Fun with Math and Shopping by Amy Axelrod
Concepts of price and quantity enter the picture when Mrs. Pig wins a five-minute shopping spree at the
supermarket on Halloween night.
Less than Zero by Stuart Murphy
While trying to save enough money to buy a new ice scooter, Perry the Penguin learns about managing
his money and about negative numbers.
Fraction – Decimal – Percent
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Have your child look for everyday uses of fractions and percents. Look in games, grocery stores,
cookbooks, measuring cups, and newspapers. When finding fractions, decimals, or percents, ask
for your child to change them from one form to another. For example, If you see “¼ off” ask
your child to tell what percent is equal to ¼ (25%).
When grocery shopping, ask your child to help you find the “best buy” by comparing the cost
per unit (ounce, gram, each) of different package sizes. For example, compare the cost of a
family-size box of cereal with the cost of a regular-size box.
Books to Read and Discuss Together:
Full House: An Invitation to Fractions by Dayle Ann Dodds
Fraction in Juvenile Literature
How Hungry Are You? by Richard Tchen
An ever-increasing group of children go on a picnic, finding a way to divide the food that they all have
contributed.
Just Enough Carrots by Stuart Murphy
While a bunny and his mother shop in a grocery store for lunch guests, the reader may count and
compare the amounts of carrots, peanuts, and worms in the grocery carts of other shoppers.
Multiplication and Division
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Have your child create and tell you a number story that goes with multiplication or division of
basic facts. For example, you say, “Donuts come in packages of 8. There are 3 packages. How
many donuts are there?”
Ask questions that involve equal sharing. For example, “Nine children are sharing 36 sheets of
colored paper. How many sheets will each child get?” You can also use numbers that will have
left overs. Discuss how you might share these remainders. Papers could be cut into equal size
pieces (fractional parts). Money could often be changed for smaller valued coins, making equal
decimal parts. But parts of balloons are very hard to share and are listed as “remainders”.
Books to Read and Discuss Together:
Subtraction Action by Loreen Leedy
Introduces subtraction through the activities of animal students at a school fair. Includes problems for
the reader to solve.
Addition Mission by Loreen Leedy
Miss Prime and her animal students explore addition by finding many examples in the world around
them.
COMMERCIAL GAMES THAT HELP MATH UNDERSTANDING
Many games you have at home or see at the local stores involve mathematical thinking. Students
develop their skills in an almost effortless way when they play these games with each other or with
adults. Let the interest and motivation of your child be your guide when selecting and playing the
games.
Many excellent games can be found with electronic versions. These also support math understanding.
Every DPS student has a code to play Everyday Math games online at www.everydaymathonline.com.
All levels of Everyday Math games are available to each student. Students will need to get password
cards from their teachers.
Uno
Crazy Eights
Jigsaw Puzzles
Tangrams
Rummikub
Clue Junior
Checkers
Battleship
Mancala
Connect Four
Ohello
Jenga
***All books listed can be found at Denver Public Libraries***
Activities are suggested from the Everyday Mathematics HOME CONNECTION HANDBOOK
Core Question 3:
How do I monitor my child’s progress and learning throughout the school
year? What resources can I use in order to do this?
As in third grade, you want to continue monitoring your child as they complete their homework. If you
are concerned about your child’s ability to understand the math, make an appointment with your child’s
teacher for confirmation of your concerns. Many teachers are willing to email you on a regular basis
with updates on progress.