Year 4 Maths

Chapters to explore

Place value extends to thousands. Rounding gives a nearby approximate value at a chosen precision. To round to the nearest hundred, compare the number with the two neighbouring hundreds. Halfway values conventionally round up at this stage.

Try it: Round a number to the nearest ten, hundred and thousand and compare the results.

Fluent multiplication facts support larger calculations. Partitioning separates a number into useful parts. Written methods record these parts systematically. Estimate to judge whether the result is reasonable.

Try it: Solve a two-digit multiplication with an array and a written method.

Equivalent fractions name the same value using different equal parts. Multiplying numerator and denominator by the same non-zero number preserves the fraction. Tenths and hundredths can be written as decimals.

Try it: Make equivalent fraction strips and label them with fractions and decimals.

Area measures surface coverage in square units. Perimeter measures the length around the outside. A rectangle’s area is length × width. Shapes can have the same area but different perimeters.

Try it: Draw two rectangles with area 12 squares and compare their perimeters.

A right angle is 90°. Acute angles are smaller; obtuse angles are between 90° and 180°. Coordinates locate a point by moving horizontally first, then vertically. A reflection uses a mirror line.

Try it: Plot four points on a grid, join them and describe the resulting shape.

Choose units that suit the scale of the measurement. There are 1,000 metres in a kilometre. A chart’s scale may count in ones, twos or larger steps. A line graph can show a changing quantity over time.

Try it: Make a graph from measurements taken at equal time intervals.

Tenths and hundredths are parts of one whole. Ten hundredths equal one tenth. Zeros can show an empty place without changing an equivalent value, so 0.5 and 0.50 are equal. Compare place values rather than digit counts.

Try it: Represent decimals on a hundred-square drawing.

Area measures surface covered; perimeter measures boundary length. Rectangles with the same area can have different perimeters. Keep units clear: area uses square units and perimeter uses length units. Draw before calculating.

Try it: Draw two rectangles with area 12 and compare perimeters.

A duration is elapsed time. Count forward in manageable steps, especially across an hour. Check whether times use a 12-hour or 24-hour clock. The context must make morning and afternoon clear.

Try it: Solve a timetable problem by counting forward.

Learning together

Each chapter brings together teaching, an example, practice and a practical discovery. Use the material with discussion and suitable offline activities. Choose a comfortable starting point and revisit explanations as needed.