Ages 8–9 · England · Parent guide
Year 4 maths: times tables and fractions of amounts
By Mathsonaut Team · Reviewed
Year 4 links times-table knowledge to division, fractions and measurement. Recalling a multiplication fact is useful, but children also need to decide when to use it. Fractions of amounts are a good opportunity to bring these ideas together: split a whole into equal groups, then choose the groups the question asks for.
What children explore in Year 4
- Recall multiplication and division facts for tables up to 12 × 12.
- Use place value in four-digit numbers and develop written calculation methods.
- Recognise equivalent fractions and find fractions of quantities.
- Connect tenths and hundredths to decimals; measure area by counting squares and compare angles.
Selected topics from the mathematics programme of study for England. This is an overview, not the full curriculum or a test of readiness. Your school may teach topics in a different order.
Find three quarters of twenty
A box has 20 counters. What is three quarters of the box?
- The denominator, 4, tells us to split the whole amount into four equal groups: 20 ÷ 4 = 5.
- Each group is one quarter of the original twenty counters.
- The numerator, 3, tells us to take three of these groups: 3 × 5 = 15.
A common mix-up: dividing by the numerator first
If your child tries 20 ÷ 3, return to what quarters mean: four equal parts of the same whole. Point to each group of five, label it one quarter, and only then select three groups. The whole remains twenty throughout.
Away from the screen
Share a collection in quarters
Use twenty blocks and draw four boxes on paper. Share the blocks equally between the boxes, then cover one box. Ask how many remain visible and what fraction of the original collection they represent. Repeat with twelve blocks to show that a quarter depends on the size of the whole.
Ask together: “Why is one quarter of twelve smaller than one quarter of twenty?”
Choose the next small step
Start with one half or one quarter if selecting three groups is confusing. When the idea is secure, try three quarters of 12 and check that the answer is 9. Keep referring to the original whole when naming the fraction.