4th Grade Math: What Happens

Fourth grade math is characterized by skill building and growth. Your child has learned many new mathematic concepts during the elementary years. This year your child will be refining his or her abilities. Fourth graders will build on those concepts learned in third grade and focus on four broad categories:

• Operations and computation

• Number sense and patterns

• Geometry and measurement

• Data analysis and probability

  Curriculum varies from state-to-state, but there are some constants. Students working at the standard level at the beginning of fourth grade:

• Comfortably add and subtract large numbers

• Know the basic multiplication and division facts

• Understand how place value works in our number system

• Can round numbers in order to make a reasonable estimate

• Use tools, such as rulers and thermometers, to measure

• Can differentiate solids from shapes

• Can find fractions of a whole and fractions of a set

• Understand basic probability and statistics

• Understand how bar graphs, line graphs, and tables communicate information

By the end of fourth grade, students working at the standard level:

• Discover, describe, and extend geometric and number patterns

• Solve simple math sentences that contain a variable

• Read, write and rename whole numbers through the millions

• Read, write and rename decimals to the hundreds

• Compare and order whole numbers and decimals

• Explore equivalent and nonequivalent fractions and begin to compare, add, and subtract them

• Multiply larger numbers

• Are comfortable with long division

• Begin developing mental math ability and estimation skills

• Know the basic characteristics of lines and angles

• Have established measurement benchmarks

• Can collect, record, and analyze data to investigate probability

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