Support for Grade 4 Families

If your child is using Bridges Grade 4, you may find the resources below helpful.

What Your Fourth Grader Will Learn  (PDF)

Your child’s teacher may use the Math Skills & Concepts Student Report to communicate with you about how your child is doing in math class. This report is meant to provide an overall picture of your child’s progress at a given point in the year. It does not include every skill or idea your child will study in math class. To get a more complete picture of how your child is doing, you can also read your school’s report card, talk to your child’s teacher, and ask to see examples of your child’s work including class work and tests.

Revised standards in some states expect students to master some of the skills we have designated as “beyond fourth grade.” For example, updated Washington standards require fourth graders to know the basic multiplication and division facts and multiply 2-digit by 3-digit numbers using efficient and effective paper-and-pencil methods, including the standard algorithm.

Overview of Grade 4 Units  (PDF)

Each two-page handout below provides a quick overview of what students will learn in a single Bridges unit. They include sample problems with answers, so you may find them useful when helping with homework. If you're not sure what unit your child's class is in right now, ask his or her teacher, or look at the small print at the top of the most recent homework assignment.
Unit 1,  Unit 2,  Unit 3,  Unit 4,  Unit 5,  Unit 6,  Unit 7,  Unit 8

Alternate Parent Letter for Unit 5 Replacement Supplement A5

For those fourth grade teachers in Washington, Oregon, Minnesota, and elsewhere who are using Supplement A5, Multi-Digit Multiplication (in place of most or all of Unit 4 or 5), download this alternate parent letter.

Math with Your Fourth Grader (PDF)

This handout offers advice on how to help with homework and make math a fun and useful part of family life. English  Spanish

Parents as Partners

The Oregon Council for Teachers of Mathematics (OCTM) offers a pamphlet to assist parents in their efforts to support and encourage their children in mathematics. Download the pamphlet.  English  Spanish

Math Vocabulary for Grade 4  (PDF)

Use these pages to refresh your memory of key terms you may need to help with your fourth grader’s homework. Definitions include examples and pictures. English  Spanish

If you want to look up other words, we recommend using A Maths Dictionary for Kids, which includes definitions, examples, animations, and even practice games.

Home Connections for Grade 4

Pages and assignments from Home Connections.

Online Skills Practice for Grade 4

Age-appropriate computer games can help your child practice basic skills. The links below will take you to free online games that may be helpful and fun for your fourth grader. (You may need to update the browser on your computer or install free plugins like Flash or Shockwave for these games to work.)

Play each game first to make sure it matches your child’s interests and abilities. You might need to help your child get started with each game. If your child has trouble focusing, the graphics may be too distracting. Children benefit from hands-on experiences and interaction with other people, so when you have time, play board games and talk to your child about the math he or she is doing. There is no substitute for your interest and involvement!

Note: Relevant sections of Bridges noted in parentheses following description.

Multiplication
Times Square  This game provides practice with multiplication facts as players race to be the first to get 4 products in a row on the game board. Use "guest pass" to enter game list & play against the computer.
 
Factor Dazzle  Players score points for finding all the factors of target numbers set by their opponents. Use "guest pass" to enter game list & play against the computer.
 
Table Numbers  Choose a factor between 2 and 9. Then view 3 different numbers, and select the one that is a multiple of the chosen factor.

MathTappers: Multiples  App compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad for math practice on the go. This is a simple, free game designed to help learners make sense of multiplication & division using visual models.

Amoeba Multiplication Game  Look for "Written Multiplication Game." This activity breaks multi-digit multiplication problems into partial products to solve. Excellent practice with larger multiplication. Beginner level includes 1 digit x 2 digit; Advanced level uses 3 digit x 2 digit.

Division
Sum Sense Division  Drag & drop numbers cards to make a division sentence. Also see Sum Sense Multiplication. Ordering cards correctly provides an entirely different way to review basic multiplication and division.

Drag Race Division - Race to answer basic division problems. Students can race one another or play against the computer.

Fractions
Dig It  Players take turns digging in a field loaded with precious stones. The object is to collect as much dirt and as many stones as possible. Players tell the shovel where to dig by using a set of numbers to make a fraction--including improper fractions--and then locating that fraction on a number line that runs across the field. The more accurately they locate the fraction, the better their score. Students may need some help to get started. Use "guest pass" to enter game list & play against the computer.
 
Fraction Feud  Players use number "cards" to create fractions that are larger (or smaller) than their opponents' in a series of mock jousts. See the "fraction bar chart" to figure out how big a fraction is in relation to an opponent's. Use "guest pass" to enter game list & play against the computer.
 
Drop Zone  Players add fractions that will total 1 as they race to win 5 points in this action-packed game. Develops fraction sense, estimation, and skill at adding fractions with like and unlike denominators. A winner! Use "guest pass" to enter game list & play against the computer.
 
Melvin's Make a Match  Match a visual model to a fraction number by pairing bottles with equivalent fractions in this Cyberchase game.

MathTappers: Estimate Fractions  In this free App for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, students relate fractions (symbols & pictures) to the nearest half. Then they use fraction estimates in addition & subtraction problems. Excellent game to use while on the go.

Geometry
neXtu  Players place shapes on a tessellating game board, collecting points and capturing opponent's pieces. Math concepts include: Greater Than, Less Than, Tessellations, and Symmetry.

Symmetry  Players create symmetrical figures and find lines of symmetry in this futuristic mission.

More Games
The sites below contain some of the best games for elementary math students to play at home. Look through the sites to find other games for your child.
ABCya!
BBC Bitesize Level 1 (skip money games on this British site)
BBC Bitesize Level 2
Calculation Nation (register or use guest pass; for upper elementary & middle grades)
Cyberchase
Johnnie's Math Page
National Library of Virtual Manipulatives

Read Math Books Together

Children of all ages enjoy sharing books with a caring adult. Visit our Virtual Bookshelf for suggested titles that will help improve skills, foster positive attitudes toward math, and create opportunities for family togetherness.