Fourth Grade Math

FAMILY MATH

Family Math lessons are for the entire family so you strengthen family ties while learning together!  These activities help your child to see math as more than just a worksheet by using a growth mindset and incorporates the importance of play and exploration. Engaging questions and open-ended tasks will get your child excited about mathematics. Family Math activities will promote deeper understanding, number sense, problem-solving, logic, and reasoning.  Based upon Jo Boaler’s work in Mathematical Mindsets, our Family Math activities help you realize you (and your whole family) CAN understand and enjoy mathematics.

Open, creative, and visual math tasks have been shown to improve student test scores, but more importantly,  they can change a student’s relationship with mathematics so they start believing in their own potential. The tasks in CGA Family Math reflect the lessons from Mindset Mathematics. Brain science shows us the following:

  • Mistakes, struggles, and challenges are the most important times for brain growth. 
  • Speed is unimportant in mathematics.
  • Mathematics is a visual and beautiful subject, and our brains want to think visually about mathematics.
  • There is no such thing as a math person – anyone can learn mathematics to high levels. –Jo Boaler

Family Math, combined with an additional paper/pencil or online curriculum and fluency practice, creates a comprehensive math plan. This develops individual progression in skills at your student’s ability level while encouraging depth of knowledge with a user-friendly math experience your family can enjoy together. 

Families can access each week’s pacing guide, fluency practice information, and the Mathematical Mindsets activity in the Family Math document linked in Ally. 

COMPLETE MATH PROGRAMS

  • Family Math + Fluency Practice + Zearn + Zearn Workbook
  • Family Math + Fluency Practice + Zearn + Zearn Workbook + ST Math (supplemental)
  • Family Math + Fluency Practice + Paper Curriculum (i.e. Saxon, Math Mammoth, Math U See)
  • Family Math + Fluency Practice + Paper Curriculum (i.e. Saxon, Math Mammoth, Math U See)  + Zearn (supplemental)
  • Family Math + Fluency Practice + Paper Curriculum (i.e. Saxon, Math Mammoth, Math U See)  + Other Online Math Subscription (STMath, Dreambox, Math Seeds, etc.) (supplemental)

Zearn (online)

CGA TOP CHOICE – Zearn Math is a top-rated program that uses video direct instruction, including visual representations of math concepts, making it engaging for all students and reaching their various learning needs no matter their current skill level. All CGA K-6th grade students will be provided access to Zearn for the 2020-2021 school year so that enjoy the benefits of this program. Students must be placed at the appropriate entry point for their current skill level so be certain to talk to your ES when they begin. Parents can print the workbook at home or request a copy from the school. (Please order a workbook if you are using Zearn as your main, stand-alone program). Zearn is a complete math program because students enter some of the answers from the workbook or scratch paper directly into the program which greatly simplifies the accountability process. 

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Notes: An effective and effective way to learn math. CGA top choice

Saxon Math

Focusing on algebraic reasoning and geometric concepts, Saxon Math Homeschool 5/4 teaches math with a spiral approach, which emphasizes the incremental development of new material and continuous review of previously taught concepts.

Following Saxon Math 3 the Saxon 54 textbook covers concepts such as number sense, numeration, numerical operations, measurement and geometry, patterns, relationships, math functions, and data manipulation are introduced. Students will specifically learn to add three-digit numbers, subtract numbers with regrouping, read time, write numbers, estimate arithmetic answers, divide with two-digit answers, multiply three or more factors, simplify fraction answers, use a decimal number line, and more.

Lessons contain a warm-up (with facts practice, mental math, & problem-solving exercises); introduction to the new concept, lesson practice exercises where the new skill is practiced, and mixed practice exercises, which includes 25-30 old and new problems. In-depth “Investigations” are provided every 10 lessons and have their own set of questions. Math 5/4 also includes 8 in lesson activities and 5 investigation activities. Learn More

Needs: Student Text, Solutions Manual, Tests & Worksheets.

Notes: Saxon Math has a very dry presentation.  The pages are devoid of color, but it has lots of reviews and is a well-respected curriculum.   Placement Test

Math Mammoth

Focuses on understanding of mathematical concepts. Uses clear explanations, lots of visual exercises and pattern exercises. Mastery-oriented: concentrates fairly long on a topic, with fairly few topics per grade. Emphasizes mental math and developing number sense. Very little preparation needed. Learn More

Needs: Semester One – Worktext 4A,  Semester Two- Worktext 4B

Notes: A great curriculum that covers all skills really well. Crammed full of information so page layout can seem a little overwhelming. No color. A great fit for the student that gets Math. 2 workbooks A & B. Placement Test

There are lots of youtube videos by Maria Miller (the author) Here

Math-U-See

Using strategies based on place value and properties of operations to divide

  • Understanding division as solving for an unknown factor
  • Fluently dividing any combination of whole numbers
  • Solving abstract and real-world problems involving all four operations
  • Interpreting remainders in short and long division
  • Understanding fraction notation in light of division      Learn More

Needs: Student Workbook, Teacher Manual & Instructional DVD, Integer Block Set.

Notes: Math-U-See is great for hands on learners.  It can be quite repetitive and doesn’t contain many reviews.  Placement Test

Singapore Primary Math (US Edition)

The students are provided with the necessary learning experiences beginning with the concrete and pictorial stages, followed by the abstract stage to enable them to learn mathematics meaningfully. This approach encourages active thinking process, communication of mathematical ideas and problem-solving. This helps develop the foundation students will need for more advanced mathematics. Practice exercises are designed to provide the students with further practice after they have done the relevant workbook exercises. Review exercises are provided for cumulative reviews of concepts and skills. All the practice exercises and review exercises are optional exercises.  Learn More

Needs: Semester One – Workbook A, Textbook A, Home Instructor Guide A.  Semester two – Workbook B, Textbook B, Home Instructor Guide B.

Notes: Colorful kid-friendly pages.   Placement Test

Beast Academy

Beast Academy books provide a curriculum that is both rigorous and complete as well as engaging and entertaining. Each grade is split into four parts (A-D). For each part there is a Guide and a Practice book.

Guides provide instruction delivered by the Academy instructors in a comic book style that encourages reasoning and problem solving.

Practice books provide hundreds of problems, puzzles, and games to reinforce the lessons. Learn More

Needs: Semester One -Practice book (workbook) 4A & 4B, Guide (textbook) 4A & 4B.  Semester Two – Practice book (workbook) 4C & 4D, Guide (textbook) 4C & 4D.

Right Start Math

This unique, award-winning, hands-on program de-emphasizes counting, uses visualization of quantities, and provides strategies and visual pictures for learning the facts. Understanding and problem solving are emphasized throughout the curriculum.  The primary learning tool is the AL Abacus, a specially designed two-sided abacus that is both kinesthetic and visual. The AL Abacus is grouped in fives and tens for quick recognition of quantities. The second side of the AL Abacus teaches place value to the thousands. Children develop visual strategies as they use this manipulative.  Practice is provided with math card games, minimizing review worksheets and eliminating stressful flash cards. These games provide interesting and varied repetition that is needed for the automatic responses to the facts. More importantly, these games provide an application for new information and create hours of fun learning math facts and concepts. Learn More

Needs: Kit (Lessons & Worksheets), Manipulatives Kit (AL Abacus Standard Math Card Games book Place Value Cards Base 10 Picture Cards Abacus Tiles Cards for Math Games Fraction Charts Drawing Board Set Geoboards Geometric Solids Plastic Coins Geometry Panels Colored Tiles Geometry Reflector Casio Calculator 450 Geared Clock Math Balance Tangrams Centimeter Cubes 4-in-1 Ruler Folding Meter Stick Goniometer Tally Sticks Yellow Is The Sun CD).

Notes: A great Math especially for struggling learners, but is very parent intensive.  Lots of games and manipulatives. AL Abacus is primary manipulative.   Placement Test

There are lots of youtube videos explaining the games (I hate reading instructions :) ) Here

ST Math (online)

Don’t settle for mere digitized math drills. ST Math is a visual instructional program that builds a deep conceptual understanding of math through rigorous learning and creative problem solving to engage, motivate and challenge PreK-8 students toward higher achievement. Every student deserves his or her own personal journey toward math mastery. With ST Math, students progress at their own pace and engage with a unique series of animated puzzles. Students use the immediate and informative feedback to adjust their thinking while solving a problem. Parents have access to a simple-yet-powerful, built-in reporting system to monitor learning and quickly identify the instructional needs of each student.

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Notes: A fun and effective way to learn math.

Dreambox (Online)

Dreambox is adaptive, personalized instruction.  Learn More

Notes: Not a complete curriculum, but a fun supplement.  Lots of games.  Can be difficult to transfer skills to paper if used alone.

Aleks Math

Aleks Math is a research-based, online program that offers course products for mathematics, business, science, and behavioral science. Using personalized learning and adaptive assessments, ALEKS quickly and accurately determines exactly what a student is most ready to learn. This unique approach to learning dramatically improves student performance and confidence. Learn More