How do we teach Maths in Grade 3/4

1. Grade 5/6 Teachers
Nicole Rettke, Elise Dowell, Leeanne Baddeley
& Julie Dalton

2.  The grade 5/6 children complete addition
and subtraction algorithms with 4 digits and
beyond.
A sum is the result of an addition
The sum of 256
+179 is 435

3.  Place Value is still very important in grade 6.
 The students need to know the value of a
digit when adding and subtracting.
 The students enjoy reading numbers beyond
a million.

4. PLACE VALUE CHART used in Grade 5/6
duodecillion undecilli
on
decillion nonillion octillion septillio
n
sextillio
n
quintillio
n
quadrilli
ons
trillions billions millions thousan
ds
hundreds
h t o h t o h t o h t o h t o h t o h t o h t o h t o h t o h t o h t o h t o h t o

5.  When completing activities it is really
important that the students are exposed to
some ‘real life’ mathematics activities that
include problem solving.
 This includes activities that involve estimation
 Estimation is the process of arriving at an inexact result on the basis
of general consideration of the numbers and operations involved
rather than as a consequence of a precise mathematical procedure .

6.  Enrico Fermi (1901-1954) was an Italian
physicist who acquired a reputation for
‘solving’ what seemed to be impossible
problems in his head, such as, “How many
piano tuners are there in Melbourne?’ Fermi
came up with what turned out to be a
reasonable approximation of the actual
number by a means of a process we refer to
as mathematical modelling.

7.  How many pianos would be in this immediate
area?
 How often might they need tuning?
 How long does it take a piano tuner to tune a
piano?
 The students make predications and
estimations to solve these types of problems.

9.  is computation done ‘all in the head’ –
without tools such as a calculator or paper
and pen.
 Australian studies by Groves et al 2006 of
children’s mental computation show that
competent children have often acquired a
range of efficient mental strategies almost ‘in
spite of’ what happens in the classroom.
These strategies are flexible, consider the
numbers involved and do not replicate
written strategies.

10.  At around grade 3/4 the students move from
additive 4+4+4 = 12 to multiplicative
thinking 3 x 4 = 12
 There are many ways to complete the
multiplication algorithm.

11.  Addition and subtraction of fractions and
decimals.
Fractions = ¼ ½ 1/5 1/10
Equivalent fractions ¼ 2/8
Improper fractions 8/4 4/2
Decimals
¼ is equivalent to .25