Challenges and Investigations Maths Worksheets For Year 4 (age 8-9)
This category is all about children choosing the most appropriate method to achieve a quick and accurate answer and to be able to explain their methods and reasoning. Problem solving involves measures, shape, time and money. Children should be able to read and understand the problem, see what processes are needed to solve it and lay out their working and answers clearly.
Choose Appropriate Number Operations (1)
Not only do the questions have to be answered, but explanations given. These pages really show how well children understand what they are doing.
Choose Appropriate Number Operations (2)
More written explanations on which operation to use and whether the question should be done mentally or on paper.
Explain Methods and Reasoning
Lots of questions, most of which can be done mentally. The important thing is to explain how they were tackled.
Solve Problems
Not many problems on a page, but there is an awful lot within each question. Each is a mini investigation, which can be explored in depth.
Solve Problems Recognise Patterns and Predict
Number patterns, remainders, number machines and much more in this mixed selection of problems.
Investigate Numbers and Shapes(1)
More explanations needed for most of these problems, rather than the answers themselves. A good assessment of how well children understand maths.
Investigate Numbers and Shapes (2)
Making rules for sequences is an early step towards understanding algebra, and an important part of Year 5 maths. More ‘How would you...?’ type questions as well.
Solve Single Step Word Problems
Here are some problems written in words. Fairly straightforward as they require just one mathematical step to work out the answer
Solve Multi Step Word Problems
Some word problems that need at least two steps to find the answer. This makes them much harder, so careful thinking is needed.
Solve Problems Involving Money
5 pages of word problems, all involving money. Some are suitable for calculator work as they are specially written to make the process the most important factor: it is no use having a calculator if you don’t know what calculation to carry out!
Solve Problems Involving Length Mass or Capacity
More word problems; this time on measurement of length, mass and capacity. These really test children’s understanding of when to use addition, subtraction, multiplication or division to solve a problem.
Solve Problems Involving Time
Time problems are especially tricky, especially when finding lengths of time that cross the hour boundary. A good knowledge of the number of days in each month is also needed.
Choose Appropriate Methods Including Calculator
Decide which operation is needed (add, subtract, multiply, divide) and whether a calculator, or pencil and paper are needed, or whether it can be done, ‘in your head’.
5 Digit Addition investigation
A great little investigation which has plenty of extension possibilities.
Consecutive Numbers in a Square
Investigate patterns made by placing consecutive numbers in a number square.
Who Am I?
The fish are all called numbers. Can you work out their names by solving the clues?
Date challenge: 12.12.12
A challenge connected to the date: 12.12.12.
Year 4 Using and Applying Maths
Some thoughts on how important this area of maths is.
