Bedtime Math
Be sure to visit Bedtime Math daily for fun, informative stories accompanied by math problems for your students at three levels.
Category Archives: Grade 4
How many rectangles?
Give your students a challenge with this competition problem.
Adding fractions with like denominators
Click here for a problem that emphasizes multiple ways to decompose a given fraction, and helps identify the misconception of students …
Frac-tangles
Click here for a great activity that promotes understanding of fractions, ratio, equivalence, and proportion.
Understanding the Equal Sign
Researchers have found that students in the United States often view the equal sign as a “do something” signal. What …
Borrowing vs. Decomposing
Here’s a great example of how language can affect conceptual understanding. The following is from a third grade teacher in China, quoted in Liping …
Do you always divide the larger number by the smaller number?
A common misconception among students is that, when dividing, you always put the larger number first. When this concept “sticks”, …
Common Core Math: From Standards to Instruction
Click here to see the slides from a great ASCD webinar that explain how to design units of instruction by examining …
Estimation
Want to help your students improve their sense of magnitude and estimation skills in real life contexts? Check out this …
Variables, Expressions, and Equations
Here’s a sample activity that provides a context students love – candy! – and helps them understand how to define …
The Math SPOT 