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Grade 4 Academic Situations

Numbers and Operations

Key Points:
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  1. Numbers: Use computers to work with very large numbers, compare the size of numbers up to 1 million, learn decimals and fractions, and draw graphs.
     

  2. Multiplication and division: develop understanding and fluency in multi-digit multiplication and continue to develop understanding of division to find quotients with multi-digit denominators.
     

  3. Fractions: Understand the equivalence of fractions, add and subtract fractions with the same denominator, and multiply fractions by whole numbers.

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Common Struggles: 
 

  1. Struggles with comprehending the place and value of digits in larger numbers can lead to mistakes in operations. For example, misplacing digits when writing or reading numbers up to millions.
     

  2. Mistakes in carrying or borrowing across digits, or trouble with the alignment of numbers in operations like long division or large-number multiplication. For instance, incorrect multiplication or division of at 3-digit by 2-digit numbers.
     

  3. Difficulty in understanding the equivalence of fractions, and converting between fractions and decimals. For example, not recognizing that 0.5 is the same as 1/2.

Solution:

 

  1. Numbers: Students will use algorithms to add and subtract multi-digit numbers (up to 1,000,000). To do this, students must review the addition and subtraction strategies used in third grade.
     

  2. Multiplication and division: Students will be introduced to multiplication strategies for larger numbers (2-4 digit numbers by 1-digit numbers and 2-digit numbers by 2-digit numbers), and division with remainders. To do this, students must review their third grade multiplication and division strategies.
     

  3. Fractions: Students will analyze the equivalence of fractions and compare different fractions. They'll use different strategies for adding, subtracting, and multiplying fractions, which will again require a solid understanding of fractions and unit fractions.
     

  4. Word Problems: Fourth graders begin to solve word problems in multiplication and division. To do this, they must be confident solving third-grade word problems, and they must be able to compute these four operations fluently.

Geometry

Key Points:

  1. Draw and identify lines and angles, and classify shapes by properties of their lines and angles.

Common Struggles: 
 

  1. Confusing properties between shapes, such as mixing up the properties of parallelograms and trapezoids.
     

  2. Struggling to classify a square as both a rectangle and a rhombus because students may not fully grasp that a square shares properties with both these figures.
     

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Solution:

 

Students apply concepts of geometry in their learning and life experience. Encourage your child to identify some of the math concepts they are learning in their lives, such as right angles, right triangles, or parallel lines."​

Measurement and Data

Key Points:
 

  1. Geometric measurement: understand the concepts of angles and measuring angles.
     

  2. Make a line plot to display a data set of measurements in fractions of a unit (1/2, 1/4, 1/8)
     

  3. Conversion of measurements (including length, time, mass) from a larger unit to a smaller unit.

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Common Struggles: 
 

  1. Differentiating between acute, right, obtuse, and straight angles can be confusing for students. They may have difficulty remembering the specific degree ranges that define each type of angle.
     

  2. Misplacing the protractor or reading the wrong scale, resulting in inaccurate angle measurements.
     

  3. Misinterpreting the scale on a graph or making incorrect inferences about the data.
     

  4. Placing data points incorrectly on a line plot because of confusion with fraction values or misunderstanding the scale.
     

  5. Inaccurate conversion between units

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