Grade 4 – Math

Description

OBJECTIVE

Grade 4 – Math finishes what Grade 3 – Math started: namely, the rest of the lessons contained in Ray’s New intellectual Arithmetic book, This means your child will gain exceptional proficiency and skill at working with higher numbers and more complex operations, as well as learning new applications of math.

In addition to more advanced work with the four basic operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division using larger numbers and longer calculations, your child will become better at working with fractions, mixed numerals and percentages, as well as ratios. He will gain proficiency with measurements of time, money, length, weight, dry and liquid measure. He will also learn about business uses of math such as principal, interest, commissions, discounts, premiums, as well as prices, payments and balances!

All these skills will serve your child well as he advances through math, particularly in the “higher” courses such as algebra, trigonometry, geometry and calculus.

An added bonus is that a solid mathematics background will help your child to think more logically, rationally and lucidly in his other subjects.

TEXTBOOK

If you’re new to Ray’s Arithmetics, don’t worry. Ray’s Arithmetic books are a classic. They were the “gold standard” in their day (back when there was a gold standard!), and a standing testament to the application of sound child development principles that were understood and put into practice long before the modern era of progressive education. Ray’s (and its imitators) have taught generations of budding scientists, engineers, businessmen, entrepreneurs, statesmen, who became titans of industry and leaders in their fields. They can teach your child, too.

As I mentioned in my introductions to Math 1 and 2, the methods used in Ray’s Arithmetics follow the natural way your child learns math: that is, in the three phases of: manipulative (sight, touch, hearing), followed by “concrete” (mental images), followed by “abstract” (figures, symbols, ideas/concepts). As you follow Ray’s methods through the Practical Arithmetic (grades 5-6), you will see this progression.

SCOPE

Grade 4 Math covers Ray’s New Intellectual Arithmetic book, lessons 20-80.