In fourth grade, students are expected to know basic multiplication and division facts from memory. They should be mastering addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of large numbers.
Expanded notation is a part of the fourth grade mathematics curriculum. This involves place value and demands that students identify the value of a given digit in numbers from hundredths to millions.
For example: 4,637 is 4000 + 600 + 30 + 7
Fourth graders are expected to multiply by multiples of 10, 100, and 1,000. At the very least, they will be expected to multiply a 3-digit number by a 1-digit number. They will, also, be able to solve division problems with a 1-digit divisor and a 3-digit dividend with and without remainders.
Use of fractions will be an important part of fourth grade math work. Students will work with fractions whose denominators include anywhere from 2 to 1,000. They will compare and order fractions to hundredths and locate fractions on a number line. They will be able to recognize that two fractions are equivalent or non-equivalent and will add and subtract fractions.
Decimals through the hundredths are part of the fourth grade curriculum. Students are asked to describe and compare fractions and decimals.
The following are the California Fourth Grade Mathematics Standards. They indicate what your child should know and be able to do by the time he/she leaves Fourth Grade. I have included them because they are specific, rigorous, and reflect the Fourth Grade mathematics standards of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). If you would like to know what your state’s mathematics standards include, your child’s teacher or school will be glad to give you a copy.
