Fourth Grade Math Lesson Plans for Parents and Teachers

The Whys and Whats of Fourth Grade Lesson Plans

Why Should I Use a Lesson Plan?

If you are the chef in a high-class restaurant, you follow a recipe for everything you make - even if the recipe is just in your head. If you want to remember exactly what recipe you used, you write it down. If the kitchen is so hectic that you might have to stop in the middle of putting a cake together, a written recipe can help you get back on track when you return to the cake mixing.

Does that sound like your classroom? Every classroom - whether it has only one homeschooled student or 35 inner-city students - is a highly active classroom because it has children in it. You need a recipe for 'stirring up' a lesson. Distractions are unavoidable, but your lesson plan will help you stay on track.

Why Shouldn't I Just Use a Lesson Plan from the Internet?

There is absolutely no problem with taking advantage of the multitude of fourth grade math lesson plans on the Web. However, those plans weren't made with your child or students in mind.

They may have been written for a range of grades (e.g., 3-5) rather than just fourth grade. Consider all the unique aspects of your classroom. Perhaps your school district has standards to be met that are slightly different. Your class may be made up of all high or low achievers. Maybe you don't have all of the listed teaching materials available. If you use pre-made lesson plans, be sure to adapt the plans for your specific class.

In addition, if you have carefully thought about each step of the plan to make it fit you and your situation - you will own it. When you own it, you will be better able to successfully implement it. If you want to write a lesson plan from scratch, there are aids on the Web for doing that.

What Does a Fourth Grade Math Lesson Plan Include?

A lesson plan for a fourth grade math class can follow the same format as a lesson plan for any other subject or grade. It is the content that makes it unique for fourth grade math. You can follow a template - you'll find many on the Internet.

All lesson plans tend to include the following:

• Topic
• Goals and objectives
• Materials
• Procedure
• Adaptations for gifted students or those with learning disabilities
• Evaluation

Your teacher's edition of the math book will likely offer a lot of help. For example, Saxon math teacher's manuals give you a script to follow as you teach each lesson. This would fit the procedure or method section of the lesson plan. Similarly, the BJU Press teacher's editions have a CD that tells what manipulatives to use and how to use them. This information would be listed in the materials section, and possibly the procedure section of a lesson plan. Lesson plans may be aligned to your state or common core state standards.