Category: Free Year 4 Maths Worksheets

More year 4 mental arithmetic: subtraction

This is the second page of ‘quite hard’ subtraction questions for year 4, which should be answered using mental arithmetic methods, although many adults would struggle to reach the correct answers: they really are quite hard!

Once again it shows that there are several possible ways to approach each question; the key is to choose a method which is efficient and quick. For example, they can all be done by counting on, but this may well not be the quickest way and it is speed and accuracy that we are looking for.

It is also always a really good idea to check answers by carrying out the inverse operation; in this case an addition of the answer and smallest number should give the largest number.

This, and other similar pages can be found in our Year 4 Calculations category as well as in the Four Rules section.

Quite hard mental arithmetic: subtraction_(2)

Year 4 Counting and Number

Year 4 is where you can really see children take off with their maths knowledge and understanding. They can deal with larger numbers, and show their understanding by partitioning, including numbers in the thousands. Place value is crucial to this understanding as is being able to multiply and divide by 10 and 100.

Fractions also play a much more important role, with much time spent on equivalent fractions (the key to all understanding of fractions) which can then lead on to addition, subtraction of fractions in later years.

Why not visit our Year 4 Counting and Number worksheets. There are over 30 in total, covering place value, partitioning, fractions, decimal fractions and negative numbers.

Go to Year 4 Counting and Number worksheets

Year 4 quite hard mental subtraction

Many children are unaware that there are often several ways of working out a calculation and that those who choose the best methods find maths easier and are able to answer questions more quickly and more accurately.

Let’s look at ‘Subtract 38 from 63.

This should be done, ‘in your head’ and will involve several stages, depending on the method used.

First, I could take 30 from 63 to leave 33. Then I could count back 8 from 33 which gives me 25.

Secondly, I could take 40 from 63 leaving 23 and then compensate by adding 2, which gives me 25.

Thirdly, I could take 38 from 68, leaving 30 and then compensate by subtracting 5 (because 63 is 5 less than 68).

There are several other ways very similar to these, but this does show that there is no ‘one right way, when it comes to mental arithmetic.

Quite hard mental arithmetic:_subtraction (1)

Year 4 maths worksheets: choosing the operation and method

One of the hardest things to get children to do is explain how they did a sum. These two pages try to help with this, encouraging children to explain the decisions they make about:

which operation is involved in word problems

whether calculations can be done mentally or with pen and paper

how to explain and record the operations used.

Talking about what they do is vital in the internalisation of processes, which eventually become second nature.

These two pages can be found in our Year 4, Using and Applying Maths category.

4101-01 Choose the operation and method (pg 1)

4101-02 Choose the operation and method (pg 2)

Year 4 maths worksheet: decimal fractions and money

Money is a great way to reinforce place value with decimals. For example in the total £3.45 the digit 4 has a value of 4 tenths or 40p. Money makes it very easy to show tenths (a 10p coin is one tenth of a pound) and hundredths (a one pence coin is one hundredth of a pound).

This page looks at this in more detail, showing that ten pence can be written in two ways; either as 10p or as part of a pound £0.10. There are two further things to remember here:

1. that we should always have two digits after the decimal point when writing fractions of a pound eg £0.30 not £0.3.

2. that we should not include both the pound and pence sign when writing amounts in pounds eg £0.30 is correct but £0.30p is not. it is 0.30 of a pound, not 0.30 of a penny.

This is just one worksheet from a great selection in our Counting and Understanding Numbers section within our year 4 maths worksheets. Why not go and have a look at what else is freely available?

Decimal fractions and money

Year 4 Handling Data: information from a table

As adults we read and interpret information from tables and charts almost on a daily basis, but children need practice at this. To answer the questions on this worksheet children have to understand the layout of the table and interpret the figures. It also needs a nifty bit of adding three numbers, so jottings might well be the order of the day.

This worksheet can be found in our Year 4 Handling Data category.

Information from a table

Year 4 maths worksheet: easy or not?

Here is a very different page of maths. We all  know that some subtractions are harder than others, even if the numbers are of a similar size, but why? Our worksheet asks children this very question, and hopefully they will be able to give some sensible reasons.

When it comes to written subtraction some children will always write down the difference between the two digits on the top and bottom lines. Sometimes this is correct (if the digit on the top line is bigger), but often it is not correct (if the digit on the bottom line is bigger) as ‘decomposition’ is needed to work out the answer. This page should show whether children are aware of this.

The second part of the page asks children how they would set about tackling a question; note this does not mean that the correct answer has to be worked out, just a correct method. It will show a great deal about children’s thinking and confidence.

This can be found in our Using and Applying Maths section of Year 4 maths worksheets.

Easier or not

Year 4 Counting and Understanding Number

Our year 4 Counting and Understanding Number section is developing well with over 30 separate worksheets. In year 4 children are expected to develop their recognition of number sequences, and count on and back in steps of equal size.

Four digit numbers are introduced and children are expected to be able to partition, round and order them – there are four pages at present on the site on partitioning into ThHTU. One of the harder concepts for children to understand is negative numbers and it is important to put them within a context or show them on a number line.

If we are thinking of harder concepts, then decimals and fractions won’t be far away. We have some excellent pages on both these topics, including ordering decimals and equivalent fractions.

Why not visit the Year 4 Counting and Understanding Number section of the site?

Year 4 resources on measurement

We have a growing number of Year 4 resources on measurement. Of course, children today grow up learning about metric measurements and the key standard units they need to know include:

1 kilometre = 1 000 metres

1 metre = 100 centimetres

1 centimetre = 10 millimetres

1 kilogram equals 1 000 grams

1 litre = 1 000 millilitres

Our measurement worksheets reflect this and include some great ideas on practical measuring using grams, kilograms etc.

We also have a couple of pages on measuring time; these look at days and months of the year.

Go to our Year 4 measuring worksheets

Year 4 maths worksheet: Word problems involving time

It’s not easy finding maths worksheets on topics such as word problems involving time, but here is a follow up page to one published earlier this year, suitable for Year 4 on.

One type of problem involves counting in minutes, with questions such as:

Dan started to walk to school at 7.50. He took 50 minutes. What time did he arrive at school?

Children often find working these out quite tricky, although usually the best way to do them is to count on. In this case I would add on one hour and then take 10 minutes off.

The second type of question involves days and months of the year, such as:

Alfie went for a fortnight’s holiday on 23rd July. On what date did he return from holiday? In this case it would be worthwhile pointing out that he would return on the same day of the week as he left and that travel companies really mean 14 nights rather than 14 days. A tricky one!

It also means that the number of days in a month need to be known.

Solve problems with time (2)