Multiplication and Division - 6 times tables and division facts - Starter

In a Year 4 mathematics lesson, the focus is on reinforcing the understanding of the 6 times tables and corresponding division facts. The session starts with a 'Fluent in Four' revision activity that encourages pupils to practise their arithmetic by calculating sums, differences, and products involving fractions. For example, they might be asked to work out the results of 9/4 plus or minus another fraction, or to find the product of 19/21 and another number. This exercise aims to build fluency and confidence in handling numerical operations with fractions.

The lesson then moves on to practical applications of division. Pupils are presented with a real-life problem: 18 eggs are to be shared equally into 6 boxes, prompting them to calculate how many eggs would be in each box. This division problem is expressed as 18 ÷ 6, with the answer being 3 eggs per box. Additionally, the class is tasked with a comparative exercise involving the collection of acorns by different groups. They must use the information provided—that Group 3 collected 16 more acorns than Group 1, and Group 4 collected twice as many as Group 2—to complete a pictogram that visually represents the quantity of acorns each group has gathered. Furthermore, the children compare volumes of liquid in different containers, enhancing their understanding of measurements in litres and millilitres, and reinforcing the concept of comparison and equivalence.