Fourth-grade mathematics is an important bridge between the foundational skills of the primary grades and the increasingly abstract mathematics students will encounter in upper elementary and middle school. Our goal is not simply for students to get the correct answer, but to understand why the mathematics works, communicate their reasoning clearly, and become flexible and confident problem solvers.
Our mathematics instruction is aligned with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for Grade 4. Throughout the year, students will develop their understanding of:
Place Value & Number Sense: reading, writing, comparing, ordering, and rounding whole numbers; understanding the value of digits; and extending place-value understanding to decimals through the hundredths.
Computation: developing accuracy and fluency with addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division while using strategies based on place value and properties of operations.
Fractions & Decimals: representing, comparing, and generating equivalent fractions; connecting fractions and decimals; and solving problems involving fractional quantities.
Problem Solving: analyzing one- and multi-step problems, choosing appropriate operations and strategies, representing thinking, and determining whether an answer is reasonable.
Geometry: classifying two-dimensional figures, identifying and measuring angles, and exploring geometric relationships.
Measurement: working with customary and metric measurements, perimeter, area, time, and conversions within measurement systems.
Data: collecting, representing, interpreting, and using data to solve problems.
Mathematical Reasoning: explaining thinking, using models and representations, identifying patterns and relationships, persevering through challenging problems, and communicating mathematical ideas precisely.
We use Singapore Math as an important resource for developing strong mathematical understanding. Singapore Math emphasizes a concrete → pictorial → abstract progression. Students first build understanding through objects and experiences, then represent those ideas visually, and finally connect those representations to numbers, symbols, and algorithms.
You may occasionally notice that a strategy your child brings home looks different from the way you learned mathematics. That is okay! These strategies are designed to help students understand the relationships among numbers rather than relying on memorized procedures alone. As their understanding develops, students learn increasingly efficient methods while still being able to explain why those methods work.
Below you will find Singapore Math Parent Letters connected to the concepts we are studying. These letters are intended to give families a window into our classroom: they explain important vocabulary, models, and strategies and provide examples of the mathematics students are learning.
If your child tells you, “That isn't how we do it at school,” the Parent Letter is a great place to start! Rather than teaching a completely different method at home, use the letter to see how the concept is being developed in class and ask your child to show you what they know.
One of the best questions you can ask a young mathematician is:
“Can you show me how you know?”
The ability to explain mathematical thinking is just as valuable as finding the answer.