GRADE 4

Curricular Area: Mathematics

Unit Focus: Basic Skills
Possible Difficulties with Accommodations and/or Modifications

Understanding addition, subtraction, • Provide vocabulary list of relevant terms

multiplication, and division skills (estimate, guess, sum, difference, etc.).

Understanding place value • Introduce BBB (Big Bottom Borrow) for

students to use when borrowing.

• Provide a bulletin board with appropriate

symbols and signs.

• Teach counting strategies or methods including

finger math.

• Provide opportunities for small group work.

• Use newspaper activities to model spending

money.

• Provide in writing rules for rounding for

students to access if necessary.

• Use concrete items to illustrate problems.

• Give students a number line to facilitate adding

and subtracting.

• Use a deck of cards as a way to reinforce

subtraction and addition.

• Use Six-Group Activities.

• Use study boards located in Teacher Notes.

• Use finger math counting strategy.

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 GRADE 4
Curricular Area: Mathematics
Unit Focus: Basic Skills cont.
Possible Difficulties with Accommodations and/or Modifications

• Turn lined writing paper sideways

(horizontally) so that each number is housed in
its own space.

• Use manipulatives to support addition and

subtraction skills.

• Allow students to use a multiplication chart for

self-checking.

• Have students practice and review their work.

• Big Bottom Borrow for subtraction: If the

number on the bottom is bigger than the number
on the top, you must borrow.

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5/ 1/ 1 6
• Example: − 89
427

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 GRADE 4

Curricular Area: Mathematics

Unit Focus: Decimals

Possible Difficulties with Accommodations and/or Modifications

Understanding decimals • Provide step-by-step process for completing

multiplication and division problems.

• Provide numerous examples.

• Teach calculator skills before introducing

decimals.

• Create bulletin boards with displays of

appropriate signs and symbols.

• Demonstrate use of place value sheet to support

individual work.

• Provide students with written rules for order of

operations.

• Allow ample practice.

• Use Six-Group Activities.

• Use study boards located in Teacher Notes.

• Use computer software to support drill and

practice of decimals.

• Allow students to use a calculator to complete

work.

• Have students refer to bulletin boards and charts

to support responses (as well as study boards
with steps for solving problems).

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 GRADE 4
Curricular Area: Mathematics

Unit Focus: Problem Solving

Possible Difficulties with Accommodations and/or Modifications

Following the process to solve word • Present story problems in small increments.
problems
• Allow students to work in cooperative groups.

• Facilitate peer relationships to provide tutors to

work with students with disabilities.

• Preteach vocabulary words in the context in

which they will be used.

• Use word problems that are of interest to the

students.

• Present problems orally, as well as in written

form.

• Use Six-Group Activities.

• Use study boards located in Teacher Notes.

• Use computer software to provide practice for

problem solving.

• Have students look for helping words that

reference time, place, people, and amounts.

• Have students highlight key phrases or words.

• Have students restate problems in their own

words.

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 GRADE 4
Curricular Area: Mathematics

Unit Focus: Problem Solving cont.

Possible Difficulties with Accommodations and/or Modifications

• Have students think about problems before

attempting to solve them.

• Have students use three-in-a-group task in the

Math Workshop.

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 GRADE 4
Curricular Area: Mathematics
Unit Focus: Measurement
Possible Difficulties with Accommodations and/or Modifications

Using formulas to solve problems • Provide students with formulas to complete

work in written forms, as well as having a
chart available for them to access if necessary.

• Provide students with a list of terms and

definitions.

• Provide concrete examples for students to use.

• Provide examples and specific steps to

accomplish tasks.

• Give oral and written directions.

• Display general methods of operations and

expectations on charts around the room.

• Present steps for problem solving in sequential

order.

• Use utensils (such as spoons, containers, and

cups) to demonstrate measurement.

• Use Six-Group Activities.

• Use study boards located in Teacher Notes.

• Have students ask for work to be checked

often.

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 GRADE 4
Curricular Area: Mathematics
Unit Focus: Measurement cont.
Possible Difficulties with Accommodations and/or Modifications

• Have students use steps for solving problems.

• Have students work with a peer buddy when

necessary.

• At home, have students practice using recipes

to understand measurement (macaroni and
cheese, jello, cake mixes).

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 GRADE 4
Curricular Area: Mathematics

Unit Focus: Rounding/Estimation

Possible Difficulties with Accommodations and/or Modifications

Understanding abstract thinking skills • Have students question responses to decide if

they make sense.

• Use manipulatives until students grasp idea

of using numerals.

• Use Six-Group Activities.

• Use study boards located in Teacher Notes.

• Have students try to visualize problems

before solving them.

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 GRADE 4
Curricular Area: Mathematics
Unit Focus: Graphs
Possible Difficulties with Accommodations and/or Modifications

Understanding spatial relationship skills • Provide puzzles to facilitate spatial skills.

• Provide instructions using directives such as

up, above, below, down, top, bottom, etc.

• Provide examples and specifics about the

completion of the activity.

• Use Six-Group Activities.

• Use study boards located in Teacher Notes.

• Have students use puzzles in the Math

Workshop.

• Have students use computer software to

provide opportunities for practice.

• Have students follow one direction at a time

to complete graph work.

• Have students practice skills in the Math

Workshop.

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 GRADE 4
Curricular Area: Mathematics
Unit Focus: Geometry
Possible Difficulties with Accommodations and/or Modifications

Understanding visual discrimination skills • Provide vocabulary list of relevant terms such
as isosceles, unilateral, etc.

• Display a bulletin board with pictures of

geometric shapes and/or solids used during
this lesson, including square, triangle,
rectangle, etc.

• Present formulas in written form as well as

orally.

• Use Six-Group Activities to reinforce skills

taught in the geometry unit.

• Use study boards located in Teacher Notes.

• Encourage students to use notes to review

formulas for problem solving.

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 FOURTH GRADE: MATH
GENERAL ACCOMMODATIONS TO REDUCE MATH ANXIETY

o Use clear instructions

o Avoid competition among students
o Remove unnecessary time and test pressures
o Provide explicit instruction
o Eliminate confusing elements
o Provide ample practice
o Make available various examples which illustrate concept being taught

Learning Strategies Approach

Provide students with the following eight-step Learning Strategies Approach from
Montague and Bos, 1986.
1. Read problem aloud
2. Paraphrase the problem aloud
3. Visualize the information
4. State the problem aloud
5. Hypothesize and think through the problem aloud
6. Estimate the answer aloud
7. Calculate and label the answer
8. Self-check by using the self-questioning technique to ask if the answer makes
sense

Problem-Solving Strategy
1. Read: What is the question?
2. Reread: What is the necessary information?
3. Think:
a. Putting together = addition
b. Taking apart = subtraction
c. Do I need all the information?
d. Is it a two-step problem?

4. Solve: Write the equation.

5. Check: Recalculate, label, and compare.

Problem Solving Guidelines from Problem Solving Matters

Understand: Student is able to interpret the problem and determine facts.
Plan: Student creates a plan to solve the problem.
Solve: Student carries out the plan and arrives at an answer.
Look Back: Student reviews work to make sure response is reasonable.

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