Parent guide · 5 min read
Year 4 maths: multiplication, fractions and written methods
Year 4 (US Grade 4, ages 9 to 10) is where maths stops being mostly counting and starts being methods. Children are expected to know their multiplication facts, use them in written multiplication and division with larger numbers, and meet fractions as numbers that can be written more than one way. Many parents find that a child who coasted through Year 3 suddenly stalls here, usually on one of those three things. This guide covers what to expect and how to help with each.
Try this tonight
4 things you can do at home
Find the missing facts, not just the slow ones
Ask 20 mixed questions up to 10 × 10 and note which ones took more than a few seconds or were wrong. Most children have five to eight problem facts, often 6 × 7, 7 × 8 and 8 × 9. Write only those on cards and practise them for ten minutes a day.
Estimate before every written calculation
Before working out 346 × 4, ask "about how big will this be?" Round to 350 × 4 = 1,400. If the written answer is far from 1,400, there is a slip to find. Estimating also catches misplaced digits.
Practise one written method per evening
Do three multiplications on Monday, three divisions on Tuesday, and so on, rather than mixing methods. Ask your child to say each step aloud ("four sixes are twenty-four, write four, carry two"). Hearing the steps shows exactly where it goes wrong.
Draw fractions before writing them
Draw a rectangle, split it into 4 equal parts and shade 3. Then split the same rectangle into 8 parts and shade the same amount: 6 parts. That is 3/4 = 6/8. Seeing that the shaded area did not change makes equivalent fractions make sense.
Multiplication and division with bigger numbers
Year 4 usually extends multiplication to two- and three-digit numbers times one digit, and division of larger numbers by one digit, with remainders. The most reliable way in is to split the number by place value. For 346 × 4: 300 × 4 = 1,200, 40 × 4 = 160 and 6 × 4 = 24. Add them: 1,200 + 160 + 24 = 1,384.
The same pieces are what the compact written method does, so a child who understands the split is not memorising a trick. For division, try 487 ÷ 6. Six goes into 48 eight times (6 × 8 = 48), leaving 0 tens, then into 7 once with 1 left over. The answer is 81 remainder 1. Check by multiplying back: 81 × 6 = 486, plus 1 is 487.
Equivalent fractions: same amount, different name
Two fractions are equivalent when they show the same amount. 3/4 and 6/8 and 9/12 are all the same size: multiply the top and bottom of 3/4 by the same number (2, then 3) to get the others. The rule is "do the same to the top and the bottom", and it only works for multiplying or dividing, not adding.
A common slip is adding the same number to both parts: turning 3/4 into 4/5 by adding 1 to each. A drawing shows it is not the same amount. Ask "is 4/5 still the same size as 3/4?" and let the picture answer.
What else is in the year, and where to keep an eye
Alongside the big three, Year 4 usually includes place value to the ten-thousands, telling the time and elapsed time, area and perimeter, and simple data displays. These build on the same number skills, so a child who is slow with multiplication facts will often be slow on area and perimeter as well.
If a single topic is the problem, that is usually fixable with a few weeks of focused practice. If several are slipping at once, the common cause is almost always the facts, so go back to step 1 before adding more worksheets.
Signs it’s time for outside help
When home help has done what it can
- Still counts up or skips along to answer multiplication facts.
- Gets written multiplication or division wrong even when the method is clear to them.
- Treats 3/4 and 6/8 as different amounts or adds to both parts of a fraction.
- Avoids maths homework or says "I can't do it" before trying.
- Understands in class but cannot repeat the method at home a day later.
Questions parents ask
FAQ
What do children learn in Year 4 maths?
Typically multiplication facts to 10 × 10, written multiplication and division with larger numbers, fractions including equivalent fractions, place value into the ten-thousands, time, and area and perimeter. Each state and school sequences these a little differently.
Is Year 4 the same as Grade 4?
Roughly. Year 4 in Australia (ages 9 to 10) matches US Grade 4, though the order of topics varies. In England the same age group is Year 5.
How much maths practice does a Year 4 child need at home?
Ten to fifteen focused minutes a few evenings a week usually beats one long session on Sunday. Spend it on facts and one written method, and stop while your child is still confident.
Are worksheets enough?
They help for repeated practice, but only once your child understands the method. If answers are wrong in the same way every time, talk through one question together first, then use worksheets to build speed.
Further reading
Classes that fit
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