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Learning Standards Standards

What does a student learn in ?

This is the year math stretches into bigger numbers and the first real work with fractions. Students learn to add and subtract numbers in the thousands, multiply larger numbers, and divide with remainders. They compare fractions, add fractions with the same bottom number, and start seeing decimals like money. By spring, students can solve a multi-step word problem and explain why two fractions are equal.

  • Multiplication
  • Long division
  • Fractions
  • Decimals and money
  • Word problems
  • Area and perimeter
Source: New Hampshire New Hampshire College and Career Ready Standards
Year at a glance
How the year usually goes. Every school and district set their own curriculum, so treat this as a guide, not official pacing.
  1. 1

    Place value and big numbers

    Students read, write, and compare numbers up to a million. They round to the nearest ten, hundred, or thousand and start to estimate before they calculate.

  2. 2

    Multiplication and division

    Students multiply larger numbers and divide with remainders. They solve word problems about groups, sharing, and comparisons, and check whether their answer makes sense.

  3. 3

    Fractions and decimals

    Students compare fractions, add and subtract fractions with the same bottom number, and see how fractions like one tenth connect to decimals on a number line.

  4. 4

    Measurement and data

    Students work with inches, feet, grams, liters, and minutes, and solve problems about time, money, and length. They read line plots and bar graphs to answer questions.

  5. 5

    Shapes and angles

    Students sort shapes by their sides and angles, find lines of symmetry, and measure angles with a protractor. They start to see geometry as something they can measure, not just name.

Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 4.
Standards for Mathematical Practice

  • Make Sense of Problems

    NH-MATH.MP.4.1

    Students read a math problem carefully, figure out what it's actually asking, and keep trying even when the first approach doesn't work.

  • Reason Abstractly

    NH-MATH.MP.4.2

    Students take a word problem and translate it into numbers and symbols to solve it, then explain what the answer actually means in real life. Math and meaning go back and forth.

  • Construct Arguments

    NH-MATH.MP.4.3

    Students explain why their math answer is correct and listen to how classmates solved the same problem. They practice pushing back on wrong reasoning with evidence, not just a guess.

  • Model with Mathematics

    NH-MATH.MP.4.4

    Students use math to make sense of real situations, like figuring out how much something costs or how long a trip will take. They draw pictures, write equations, or build charts to show their thinking.

  • Use Tools Strategically

    NH-MATH.MP.4.5

    Students pick the right tool for the math in front of them. That might mean using a ruler, a calculator, or just pencil and paper to work through a problem.

  • Attend to Precision

    NH-MATH.MP.4.6

    Students use the right math words, label answers with the correct units (like inches or dollars), and check that their calculations are exact. Sloppy shortcuts in math vocabulary or measurement lead to wrong answers.

  • Use Structure

    NH-MATH.MP.4.7

    Students notice patterns and rules in numbers, shapes, and problems, then use what they spot to solve new problems faster. Recognizing that 6 x 4 is just 4 groups of 6 helps more than memorizing every fact cold.

  • Express Regularity

    NH-MATH.MP.4.8

    Students notice when the same steps keep working the same way, then use that pattern as a shortcut or rule. For example, they might realize multiplying any number by 10 always adds a zero, then apply that rule without starting from scratch each time.

K-8 Mathematics Content

  • Counting and Number

    NH-MATH.K8.4.1

    Students work with whole numbers, fractions, and basic number patterns to solve grade-level problems. They count, compare, and reason about numbers to make sense of everyday math.

  • Operations and Algebraic Thinking

    NH-MATH.K8.4.2

    Students practice adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing to solve word problems and write number sentences that show how those problems work.

  • Measurement and Data

    NH-MATH.K8.4.3

    Students read and build tables, bar graphs, and line plots to answer questions about real data. They look at patterns in the numbers and explain what the information shows.

  • Geometry

    NH-MATH.K8.4.4

    Students sort and describe flat shapes (like squares and triangles) and solid shapes (like cubes and cones), then measure angles, sides, and other features to explain what makes each shape different.

  • Ratios and Proportional Relationships

    NH-MATH.K8.4.5

    Students use ratio reasoning to solve problems like comparing prices, scaling recipes, or figuring out how many items fit a pattern. This is the grade 4 level of that skill.

Assessments
The state tests students at this grade and subject take.
State Summative

NHSAS: Mathematics (Grades 3-8)

New Hampshire's spring summative math test for grades 3 through 8, aligned to New Hampshire's College and Career Ready Standards for Math.

When given:
spring
Frequency:
annual
Official source
National Monitoring

NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress)

Federally administered sample-based assessment in reading, mathematics, science, and writing. NAEP results inform state-by-state comparisons rather than individual student or school accountability.

When given:
biennial in winter
Frequency:
every two years
Official source
Common Questions
  • What math should students know by the end of the year?

    Students should multiply and divide larger numbers, work confidently with fractions like 3/4 and 2/8, and solve word problems with more than one step. They should also measure length, weight, and time, and recognize shapes by their angles and sides.

  • How can families help with multiplication at home?

    Practice times tables in short bursts while driving or making dinner. Five minutes a day beats an hour on the weekend. Ask questions like what is 7 times 8, then mix in division by flipping it: 56 divided by 7.

  • What does fraction work look like this year?

    Students start comparing fractions, finding equal fractions like 1/2 and 2/4, and adding fractions with the same bottom number. Cooking is a great place to practice. Measuring cups make 1/4 plus 1/4 feel obvious.

  • How should the year be sequenced?

    Most plans start with place value and multi-digit addition and subtraction, move into multiplication and division, then spend a long stretch on fractions in the winter. Save measurement, geometry, and data work for the spring, after the number work is solid.

  • Which skills usually need the most reteaching?

    Multi-digit multiplication and fraction equivalence tend to need a second pass. Students often memorize steps without understanding why they work. Plan a reteach week after each unit, and use visual models like area rectangles and fraction bars before pushing to the algorithm.

  • What does mastery look like before fifth grade?

    By June, students should multiply a three-digit number by a one-digit number, divide with remainders, and add fractions with matching bottoms. They should also explain their thinking out loud and check whether an answer makes sense.

  • My child says they are bad at math. What helps?

    Talk about math as something a person gets better at with practice, not a talent. When students get stuck, ask what they tried instead of jumping in with the answer. Praise the effort and the reasoning, not the speed.

  • How can word problems be made less scary?

    Have students read the problem twice, then draw a quick picture or write what they know before touching numbers. A simple bar diagram works for almost any problem this year. The drawing turns a wall of words into something they can solve.