Year 4 Multiplication & Division: ACARA v9.0 Guide
🎯 The TLDR: Curriculum Expectations
- Recall all multiplication facts up to 10 x 10.
- Recall related division facts with automaticity.
- Master the "Double-Double" (x4) and "Double-Double-Double" (x8) rules.
- Solve division problems with remainders.
- Multiply/Divide two-digit numbers by 10 and 100.
- Use the Area Model for partitioning.
Relevant ACARA v9.0 Codes: AC9M4N06, AC9M4N07, AC9M4N05.
High-Impact Teaching Strategies
In Year 4, we move students away from counting towards efficient mental "shortcuts." The goal is to free up working memory for the multi-step problems they will face in Year 5.
Strategy A: Sequential Doubling (Derived Facts)
We teach students that the 4x and 8x tables are not new information. By using Derived Facts, students understand that x4 is simply doubling twice, and x8 is doubling three times. This builds a mental bridge from their secure x2 foundations.
Sequential doubling transforms difficult sequences into manageable mental steps.
Strategy B: The Area Model (Partitioning)
Before moving to formal algorithms, students use the Area Model. By partitioning a two-digit number (e.g., 14 x 3 becomes 10x3 and 4x3), students apply their place value knowledge to solve larger products mentally.
The Area Model visualises the distributive property, a cornerstone of algebraic thinking.
Strategy C: Division as "How many fit?" (Remainders)
Remainders can be confusing if students only think of division as "sharing." We teach students to use their multiplication recall to find the highest multiple that "fits" into a number, then identify the leftovers. For example, to solve 14 ÷ 4, we think: "How many 4s in 14? Three 4s is 12, with 2 left over."
Visualising division as "grouping" rather than just sharing helps students logically identify remainders using their existing multiplication recall.
Build Year 4 Automaticity
Transition students from concrete models to instant recall with these Year 4 targeted modules.
