Fourth grade curriculum covers all the math strands which include arithmetic; number sense and operations; simple algebra; basic geometry and spatial law; measurement; data analysis; and probability. Teachers must challenge students to work with numbers through the hundred-thousands or more. Decimals and fractions in relation to monitory value are also part of the fourth grade curriculum.
Fourth graders cover multiplication of numbers by multiples of 10, 100, and 1,000 and they should have a thorough understanding of multiplication patterns, committing most to memory. Fourth graders should be able to do simple multiplication using times tables memorization carried over from the third grade. They should also be able to use multiplication to solve real life problems, often multiplying 3 digits by 1 digit.
Fourth grade math students should already have a sound understanding of the rules of divisibility for the numbers 2, 3, 5, 9 and 10. Solving real-world problems using division is expected of fourth graders using divisors of 1 digit and dividends of 3 digits, both with and without remainders.
The use of fractions is an important learning curve for fourth graders, encompassing fractions whose denominators include 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 20, 25, 100 and 1,000. Students learn to recognize the equal value of two or more different fractions and learn to add and subtract fractions. The use of drawings, story problems and algorithms are also integrated into fourth year fraction lessons.
Decimals are another stream of math that fourth graders must grasp, as decimals form an integral part of math from the fourth grade onwards. Students learn about decimals through the hundredths, and are taught to recognize equivalent and non-equivalent decimal numbers. They learn about decimals in a monetary context applying it to real life scenarios. Most schools also teach the comparison between the decimal number system and the Roman numeral system, using the Roman numerals I, V, X, L, C, D and M.