Grade 4 brings another step up in math. Children work with larger numbers, solve more complex multiplication and division problems, and deepen their understanding of fractions, measurement and geometry.
Parents often wonder how much their child should know before the school year begins.
Children do not need to have mastered every grade 3 skill. Teachers expect students to arrive with different strengths and areas that still need practice, and important concepts will be reviewed throughout grade 4.
What matters most is that children understand how numbers work, can use addition and subtraction with some confidence, and are developing a solid understanding of multiplication, division and fractions.
The following skills can help make the transition to grade 4 math a little easier.
Understanding place value to 10,000
Before grade 4, children should understand that the value of a digit depends on where it appears in a number.
In the number 4,726:
4 represents 4 thousands
7 represents 7 hundreds
2 represents 2 tens
6 represents 6 ones
They should also be able to show the number in expanded form:
4,726 = 4,000 + 700 + 20 + 6
Try writing a four-digit number and asking:
What is the value of each digit?
How many thousands, hundreds, tens and ones are there?
Can you write the number in expanded form?
Grade 3 place value worksheets
Our grade 3 place value worksheets give students practice building and breaking apart numbers, finding the value of digits, comparing and ordering numbers, and working with numbers up to 10,000.
These worksheets ask students to write four-digit numbers in expanded form.
Comparing, ordering and rounding numbers
Children entering grade 4 should be able to read, write, compare and order numbers to 10,000.
They might compare:
6,405 and 6,450
The thousands and hundreds are the same, so they need to compare the tens. Since 5 tens is greater than 0 tens, 6,450 is greater.
Children should be comfortable using:
> greater than
< less than
= equal to
They should also have some experience rounding numbers to the nearest 10 or 100.
For example:
347 rounds to 350 to the nearest 10.
347 rounds to 300 to the nearest 100.
A number line can help children see which multiple of 10 or 100 is closest. This is more useful than relying only on a rule about looking at one digit.
Grade 3 comparing and rounding worksheets
Our grade 3 place value and rounding worksheets include comparing and ordering numbers and rounding to the nearest 10, 100 or 1,000.
Choose one type of rounding at a time if your child finds the different place values confusing.
In these rounding worksheets, students round to the nearest 100.
Adding and subtracting larger numbers
By the end of grade 3, children are usually adding and subtracting numbers with several digits.
They should understand how to line up ones, tens, hundreds and thousands when working in columns. They should also understand what happens when they regroup.
For example, when adding:
368 + 457
8 ones + 7 ones = 15 ones
The 15 ones can be regrouped as 1 ten and 5 ones.
Children may also use mental strategies when the numbers make that sensible. To work out 398 + 125, a child might think:
400 + 125 = 525
525 − 2 = 523
Children do not need to use the same method for every question. They should, however, be able to explain their thinking and check whether their answer is reasonable.
Grade 3 addition and subtraction worksheets
Our grade 3 addition and subtraction worksheets cover mental math, adding and subtracting in columns, regrouping and calculations with larger numbers.
If regrouping is difficult, begin with questions that require regrouping in only one place before moving on to more complicated calculations.
These subtraction worksheets ask students to subtract two 3-digit numbers with regrouping.
Knowing multiplication facts
Multiplication becomes even more important in grade 4. Knowing the basic multiplication facts makes division, fractions, area and more complex calculations much easier.
Children entering grade 4 should be developing fluency with the multiplication tables, usually through 10 × 10. Some may also be working with facts through 12 × 12.
Fluency does not have to mean answering every fact instantly. A child might work out 7 × 8 by thinking:
5 × 8 = 40
2 × 8 = 16
40 + 16 = 56
They should also notice useful patterns and relationships:
4 × 6 = 24
6 × 4 = 24
8 × 6 is double 4 × 6, so 8 × 6 = 48
Understanding these relationships gives children ways to find an answer when they cannot recall it immediately.
Grade 3 multiplication worksheets
Our grade 3 multiplication worksheets cover the meaning of multiplication, multiplication tables, arrays, missing factors, multiplying by multiples of 10 and multiplying in columns.
Short, regular practice with a small group of facts is usually more useful than repeatedly working through every multiplication table at once.
In these worksheets students are introduced to the meaning of multiplication.
Understanding division and its connection to multiplication
Children should understand division as both sharing equally and making equal groups.
For example, 24 ÷ 6 can mean:
Share 24 objects equally among 6 people.
Make groups of 6 from 24 objects.
In both cases, the answer is 4.
Children should also see division and multiplication as related operations:
6 × 4 = 24
4 × 6 = 24
24 ÷ 6 = 4
24 ÷ 4 = 6
They may also be beginning to work with remainders. If 26 apples are placed into bags of 4, there will be 6 full bags with 2 apples left over.
At this stage, understanding what the remainder means in the situation is more important than learning a complicated written division method.
Grade 3 division worksheets
Our grade 3 division worksheets cover equal groups, division facts, multiplication and division fact families, missing numbers and introductory division with remainders.
These fact family worksheets reinforce the connection between multiplication and division.
Multiplying one-digit numbers by larger numbers
Children entering grade 4 may have started multiplying a one-digit number by a two- or three-digit number.
For example:
4 × 23
A child might break 23 into tens and ones:
4 × 20 = 80
4 × 3 = 12
80 + 12 = 92
This way of breaking apart a number helps children understand what is happening when they later use multiplication in columns.
They should also be able to multiply by multiples of 10. If 6 × 4 = 24, then 6 × 40 = 240.
Students multiply 10-digit numbers by whole tens in these worksheets.
Solving problems with more than one operation
Grade 4 word problems often require children to decide which operations to use and whether a problem has more than one step.
For example:
There are 6 boxes with 8 markers in each box. The teacher gives 13 markers to another class. How many markers are left?
First find the total number of markers:
6 × 8 = 48
Then subtract the markers that were given away:
48 − 13 = 35
Encourage your child to:
read the whole problem
identify what they need to find
decide which information is useful
choose the operation or operations
show their work with equations, pictures or models
check whether the answer makes sense
Avoid teaching children to choose an operation from a keyword alone. They need to think about what is happening in the problem.
Grade 3 word problem worksheets
Our grade 3 word problem worksheets cover addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, measurement, time and mixed problems.
Mixed worksheets are particularly useful because children must decide how to solve each problem instead of repeating the same calculation.
These worksheets present mixed word problems to students at the grade 3 level.
Understanding fractions as numbers
Before grade 4, children should understand that a fraction represents equal parts of a whole, a set or a length.
In the fraction 3/4:
4 is the denominator. It tells us that the whole is divided into 4 equal parts.
3 is the numerator. It tells us that we are considering 3 of those parts.
Children should be able to identify fractions using pictures and place simple fractions on a number line.
They should also understand that fractions can name the same amount:
1/2 = 2/4
Fraction strips, folded paper and measuring cups can help make equivalent fractions easier to see.
Grade 3 fraction worksheets
Our grade 3 fraction worksheets give students practice identifying fractions, finding fractions of sets, working with equivalent fractions and comparing fractions.
Visual models are especially helpful. If a child knows a procedure but is unsure which fraction is larger, return to pictures or a number line.
Student identify and color in the fraction in these worksheets.
Comparing and adding simple fractions
Children entering grade 4 should be beginning to compare fractions, especially when the fractions have the same numerator or denominator.
For example:
3/8 < 5/8
Both fractions describe eighths, and 5 eighths is more than 3 eighths.
They may also compare:
1/3 > 1/5
When the same whole is divided into fewer equal pieces, each piece is larger.
Children may have started adding and subtracting fractions with the same denominator:
2/8 + 3/8 = 5/8
The pieces are still eighths, so the denominator stays the same.
The goal is for children to understand the size of the fractions, not simply follow a rule.
Grade 3 comparing fractions worksheets
Our grade 3 fraction worksheets include comparing like fractions, equivalent fractions and introductory fraction addition and subtraction.
Ask your child to estimate first: Should the answer be less than, equal to or greater than one whole?
These worksheets have students comparing two factions with the same denominator.
Telling time and working out elapsed time
Children should be able to read analog and digital clocks and tell time to the nearest minute.
They should understand:
there are 60 seconds in a minute
there are 60 minutes in an hour
the meaning of a.m. and p.m.
how to use a calendar
how to find simple periods of elapsed time
For example:
A soccer practice starts at 4:35 p.m. and ends at 5:50 p.m. How long does it last?
A child might count forward:
4:35 to 5:00 = 25 minutes
5:00 to 5:50 = 50 minutes
25 + 50 = 75 minutes, or 1 hour 15 minutes
Elapsed time is often more difficult than reading a clock. A number line or a schedule can help children keep track of the jumps.
Grade 3 time and calendar worksheets
Our grade 3 time worksheets cover reading clocks, elapsed time, units of time and calendars.
Use real plans when possible. Ask how long it is until dinner, how much time a trip takes or what date it will be one week from today.
These elapsed time worksheets ask students “How much time went by?” and “What time will it be?”.
Measuring and estimating
Children entering grade 4 should have experience measuring length, weight, volume and temperature using standard units.
They should be familiar with units such as:
millimeters, centimeters, meters and kilometers
inches, feet, yards and miles
grams and kilograms
ounces and pounds
milliliters and liters
cups, pints, quarts and gallons
They should be able to choose a sensible unit. The length of an eraser might be measured in centimeters, while the distance between two cities would be measured in kilometers.
Children should also make reasonable estimates and compare measurements. Practical experience with rulers, scales and measuring cups helps units become more meaningful.
Grade 3 measurement worksheets
Our grade 3 measurement worksheets cover length, weight, capacity and temperature in metric and customary units.
Whenever possible, combine worksheet practice with real measuring. Ask your child to estimate first, measure the object and then compare the estimate with the result.
Students measure lengths to the nearest quarter inch in these worksheets.
Understanding area and perimeter
Children should understand that perimeter is the distance around a shape and area is the amount of space inside it.
For a rectangle that is 6 units long and 4 units wide:
Perimeter = 6 + 4 + 6 + 4 = 20 units
Area = 6 × 4 = 24 square units
Square tiles or grid paper can help children see why area is measured in square units. They can cover a rectangle with squares, count the rows and columns, and connect the model to multiplication.
It is common for children to confuse area and perimeter. Asking whether they are measuring around a shape or covering its surface can help them decide what to find.
Grade 3 area and perimeter worksheets
Our grade 3 geometry worksheets include finding the area and perimeter of rectangles and other shapes.
Encourage children to include the correct units in their answers: units for perimeter and square units for area.
In these worksheets, students find the area of rectangular shapes by counting squares in a grid.
Recognizing and describing shapes
Children entering grade 4 should be able to identify and describe common two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes.
They should be familiar with features such as:
sides and vertices
faces and edges
right angles
parallel lines
lines of symmetry
They might explain that a square has four equal sides and four right angles, or that a rectangle has two pairs of parallel sides and four right angles.
Children may also be bemake the kiginning to sort quadrilaterals by their properties. A square, for example, is also a rectangle because it has four right angles.
Grade 3 geometry worksheets
Our grade 3 geometry worksheets cover identifying and classifying shapes, lines, angles, symmetry, area and perimeter.
Ask your child to explain why a shape belongs in a group. Describing the properties is more useful than recognizing a shape only by how it looks.
Students identify quadrilaterals in these geometry worksheets.
Reading graphs and interpreting data
Children should have experience reading and creating pictographs, bar graphs, line plots and simple line graphs.
In grade 3, graphs may use a scale. On a bar graph, one square might represent 2 children rather than 1 child.
Children should be able to answer questions such as:
Which category has the greatest value?
How many more votes did one choice receive than another?
What is the total for two categories?
How does the scale affect the value shown by each bar or symbol?
They should also understand that a graph needs a title, labels and an appropriate scale so that someone else can read it accurately.
Grade 3 data and graphing worksheets
Our grade 3 data worksheets give children practice creating and reading scaled pictographs, bar graphs, line plots, line graphs and other displays.
These worksheets introduce more complex data sets and ask children to use information from a graph to solve problems.
These worksheets present a bar graph without access to the original data for students to analyze.
Using math in everyday life
Some of the most useful preparation for grade 4 does not look like schoolwork.
Ask your child to estimate the total cost of several groceries. Let them double a recipe or measure ingredients. Work out how long an activity will take. Divide snacks equally and discuss what happens when there are some left over. Find the area and perimeter of a tabletop or rug. Look for fractions on measuring cups and multiplication in rows of seats or tiles.
These small activities help children connect math with real situations and give them a reason to think about what the numbers mean.
Worksheets can then provide focused practice with the same concepts and help children become more comfortable working independently.
What if my child cannot do all of these things?
Do not treat this as a checklist that every child has to complete before the first day of grade 4
Children develop at different rates, and grade 4 teachers expect students to arrive with different levels of math knowledge. A child might know the multiplication facts but still find word problems difficult. Another might understand fractions clearly but need more practice with subtraction or elapsed time.
Instead, use the list to identify a few skills that could use some review.
Short, regular practice is usually more helpful than trying to cover everything at once. Spend 10 or 15 minutes on one skill, play a math game or use an everyday activity to talk through a problem.
The goal is not to teach all of grade 4 math before grade 4 starts. It is to refresh the grade 3 concepts your child will build on when they get there.
Practice math skills before grade 4
If your child is starting grade 4 soon, reviewing grade 3 math can be a simple way to refresh skills they may not have practiced much over the summer.
K5 Learning's free grade 3 math worksheets cover many of these foundational skills, including place value, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, measurement, time, geometry, data and word problems.
Start with skills your child already knows to build confidence, then gradually introduce areas where they could use a little more practice.
