Grade 4 Math: goals and how we get there
A grade 4 math student at Learn To Be does three things:
- Knows every math fact from memory.
- Works through the Grade 4 Math course.
- Practices a little every day (at home!).
The math facts
By grade 4, a student knows all 695 math facts from memory. They prove it at the start of the year. This is not optional.
| Facts | How many | Learned in |
|---|---|---|
| Addition within 5 | 21 | Kindergarten |
| Addition within 10 | 64 | Kindergarten |
| Addition within 18 | 100 | Grade 1 |
| Subtraction within 5 | 21 | Grade 2 |
| Subtraction within 10 | 64 | Grade 2 |
| Subtraction within 18 | 100 | Grade 2 |
| Times tables to 12 × 12 | 169 | Grade 3 |
| Division facts to 12 | 156 | Grade 3 |
"From memory" means the answer comes instantly, with no counting, no fingers, and no songs.
The flashcard decks
Every set of facts above has a flashcard deck at learntobe.org/decks. The student signs in to their own account. The times tables and division facts are split into smaller decks (2s, 5s, and 10s first), so a student can start small.
Each deck has two modes:
- Practice. Short practice. Cards the student misses come back more often, until the student masters every card.
- Challenge. A timed test. It shows which facts are fast, which are slow, and which the student missed.
If your student already knows the facts: run the Challenge on each deck. If the facts are fast, this part is done.
If your student does not: start with the lowest deck that is not fast, even if it is below grade 4. Practice it for 10 minutes at the start of every session. The student also practices it for 5 minutes every day at home. Then move up.
The course
Grade 4 Math has 139 lessons. It covers place value, multi-digit addition and subtraction, factors and multiples, multi-digit multiplication and division, fractions, and word problems.
- Start with the placement test on the course page. It finds the first lesson your student needs.
- Do not skip lessons. A student moves on only after they master a lesson.
If the course is too hard, go down to Grade 3 Math. Math is a ladder. Each step needs the steps below it.
A typical session
- Math facts, about 10 minutes. Fast practice on the current deck. After the student masters a deck, this becomes a short warm-up.
- Course lessons. This is the main part of the session. Do one or two lessons together.
- Homework, if there is time. Work through tonight's hard problems together.
Between sessions (at home)
Daily practice happens at home, not in your session. A little every day works better than a lot once a week.
Tell the parent:
"Every day, have your child sign in at learntobe.org and practice their flashcard deck for 5 minutes. This is the one thing that helps most."
Show the parent and the student how to sign in and find the deck during your first session.
Other resources
- IXL. If your student has an IXL account through our pilot, its diagnostic shows the grade level your student works at in each part of math. Use it as an extra check, not instead of the course. See How should tutors use IXL?