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What your child will learn in maths#
Your child will learn to:
- solve different types of maths problems, including word problems and using tables, graphs, and diagrams
- connect their knowledge of whole numbers to fractions and decimals
- use their maths skills to understand angles, perimeter, area, and explore patterns, shapes, and data.
Good maths skills and a positive attitude towards maths are important for your child's future. They help with problem-solving and creative thinking. When talking to your child about maths, encourage them to use the maths vocabulary they learn in class.
Numbers#
Ideas to help at home
With your child, you could:
- find and connect numbers when you’re travelling – distances on maps in relation to time to get there walking, by car or by public transport
- count forwards and backwards (starting with numbers like 998, 999, 1,000, 1,001 and 1,002 – then back again)
- cut sandwiches into halves, quarters and eights and compare the pieces (for example, 3/4 is the same as 6/8).
Your child is learning to:
- compare numbers up to 10,000 and add and subtract 2 and 3-digit numbers
- use rounding and words like ‘about’, ‘more or less’, and ‘close to’ to estimate and check their answers
- the 4- and 6-time tables
- practise multiplication and division, like 23 x 5 or 44 ÷ 4, using methods such as the ‘family of facts’ (4 x 5 = 20, 20 ÷ 4 = 5)
- start learning about decimals and connect fractions to decimal numbers, for example, 3/10 is the same as 0.3
- add numbers with 1 decimal place, such as 1.3 + 0.2 = 1.5
- add simple fractions and find fractions of whole amounts – for example, "if you eat 1/5 of 40 strawberries, how many did you eat?"
- make amounts of money using dollars and cents, calculate amounts, and work out change using whole-dollar amounts.
Words your child will be learning
Words include:
- addend
- convert
- decimal
- decimal place
- decimal point
- improper fraction
- mixed number
- rename
- scale
- tenth.
Algebra#
Ideas to help at home
With your child, you could:
- build block towers or make bead bracelets that use increasingly complicated patterns
- create an obstacle course at home or a playground – for example, "hop to the swing, crawl to the slide, walk backwards to the monkey bars"
- see patterns in the numbers in their times tables.
Your child is learning to:
- solve problems with missing numbers – for example, 5 × __ = 20 or __ ÷ 3 = 6
- use words, tables, and diagrams to describe patterns and make predictions about what comes next
- create a sequence of instructions, such as drawing a shape or move through a maze, using digital tools or on paper.
Words your child will be learning
Words include:
- conjecture
- relationship.
Measurement#
Ideas to help at home
With your child, you could:
- co-operate at the supermarket and choose items to weigh – how many apples or bananas weigh a kilo?
- look for the best buy between different brands of the same items – for example, blocks of cheese
- check the amount of sugar or salt per serving
- tell the time.
Your child is learning to:
- use metres and centimetres for length, kilograms and grams for weight, and litres for capacity
- tell time in hours and minutes
- understand how different units relate, like knowing there are 100 centimetres in a metre
- measure the edges of shapes and think about area and volume using squares and cubes
- look for angles around them, learn about turning and degrees, and find angles inside shapes
- read an analogue clock to the nearest 5 minutes and use phrases like ‘minutes past’ and ‘minutes to’ the hour.
Words your child will be learning
Words include:
- angle
- benchmark
- degree
- kilogram
- minutes past, minutes to.
Geometry#
Ideas to help at home
With your child, you could:
- look for shapes and numbers in newspapers, magazines, junk mail and art, like carvings and sculptures
- make origami, or fold and cut paper snowflakes and talk about the designs you have made
- make a treasure hunt – draw a map or write several clues to give directions to a hidden treasure.
Your child is learning to:
- identify shapes with straight sides and check if they have line symmetry (both halves match when folded) or rotational symmetry (looks the same when turned)
- find the 2D shapes that make up 3D shapes, for example, a triangular prism has 2 triangles and 3 rectangles
- practise flipping (reflecting), turning (rotating), and sliding (translating) shapes
- use maps and give directions using grid references (letters and numbers on a map) and describe pathways, including using half and quarter turns and measuring distances.
Words your child will be learning
Words include:
- grid reference
- rotational symmetry.
Statistics#
Ideas to help at home
With your child, you could:
- measure your child's height monthly and plot the measurements on a simple line graph to visualise growth over time.
Your child is learning to carry out a statistical investigation by:
- coming up with a question they can answer by collecting and counting information, like "how many skips can we do in 30 seconds?"
- gathering the information and show it using bar charts and dot plots
- explaining what their graphs show, comparing their findings to their predictions, and relating it to what they already know
- checking if their graphs make sense and clearly show the information.
Words your child will be learning
Words include:
- analysis
- assertion
- investigative question
- conclusion.
Probability#
Ideas to help at home
With your child, you could:
- roll dice and track which numbers appear most often, introducing the concept of probability
- talk about events that are 'likely to happen', 'not likely to happen' or 'equally likely to happen', like the weather
- play card games such as ‘Happy Families’ and talk about how likely it is that we will get the card we want.
Your child is learning to take part in a probability investigation by:
- coming up with a question to explore, like "what is the chance of flipping heads on a coin?"
- looking at situations with equally likely outcomes, such as rolling a dice or flipping a coin, and make predictions before testing
- performing experiments and recording their results using tallies, bar charts, or dot plots
- discussing their findings after the experiments and comparing their results with others.
Words your child will be learning
Words include:
- chance-based investigation
- equally likely outcome
- probability experiment.
Resource#
Maths at home - Year 4 NZ Curriculum 