Math Skills Review & Preview: Back to School Edition

The 2024-2025 school year has officially begun for most students across the country! Depending on where you live, you may be a month into the new school year already or one of the lucky ones just going back after the Labor Day holiday.  Even though it can be hectic, I truly love the start of a new school year!  The first day of school is almost like New Year’s Day bringing new beginnings and a chance to wipe the slate clean, setting new goals and trying new things.  While some kids may dread saying goodbye to staying up late and sleeping in the next morning, they too secretly like returning to having a routine and seeing their friends more often.  

Speaking of setting new goals, what are your goals for your child or student in math this year? I’m betting no one out there wants to see them struggle and get bad grades and the time to start preparing them for all the new math skills they will learn this year is NOW.  In these first weeks of school before the demands of homework and tests set in, take some time to Review skills that are critical prerequisites for their grade level and Preview important skills they will tackle during the first nine weeks of the school year.  As always, we’ve got your back in narrowing down that list for you!

3rd Grade

Review: Addition & Subtraction 

3rd graders hit the ground running during the first nine weeks adding and subtracting larger numbers, so it is extremely important that can fluently recall basic addition and subtraction facts with numbers between 1-20 and are able to correctly set up and calculate basic sums and differences of numbers 20-99 that do not require regrouping.

Preview: Adding and Subtracting with Regrouping

3rd graders will expand their addition and subtraction skills to include adding and subtracting 3-digit numbers that require regrouping. Our 3rd Grade Addition with Regrouping and Subtraction with Regrouping lesson bundles are great resources with worksheets, anchor charts, and step-by-step examples. 

4th Grade

Review: Multiplication Facts

Usually near the end of the first nine weeks, 4th graders make the transition from multiplying single digit numbers to multiplying multi-digit numbers. These problems consist of many more steps than they have ever seen before and a huge amount of their success, (or struggles), will depend on whether or not they know those multiplication facts. Grab this FREE Multiplication Game Printable to make practicing these facts painless!

Preview: Multiplying Multi-Digit Numbers

In 4th grade, students will level up their multiplication skills moving on to multiplying multi-digit numbers times a single digit number AND multiplying a 2-digit number times another 2-digit number. 

5th Grade

Review: Basic arithmetic operations (+, -, x, ÷) of Larger Numbers Previously Learned in 4th Grade

5th graders will basically level up on all of these skills with the range of numbers they will be asked to perform these calculations with increasing to up to 9-10 digits in length.  Review long division with a single-digit divisor because now they will be dividing larger numbers with a 2-digit divisor.  Review multiplying a 2-digit number times a 2-digit number to prepare them for multiplying 3 and 4-digit numbers times 2 and 3-digit numbers.

Preview: Order of Operations

5th graders will learn the correct order to solve expressions containing multiple operations of adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing (and some curriculums also include exponents) with parentheses and brackets. More info on Order of Operations can be found in our FREE 5th Grade Math Guide - download today and we promise you'll use it all year.

6th Grade

Review: Fractions & Decimals

In 6th grade students solve more complex problems multiplying and dividing fractions and decimals as well as learn to work with fractions and decimals interchangeably. Previously learned skills to review to prepare them include: multiplying and dividing decimals within hundredths, multiplying fractions, dividing a whole number by a fraction and dividing a fraction by a whole number, putting fractions in simplest form, and renaming mixed numbers as fractions greater than 1 (improper fractions) and renaming improper fractions as mixed numbers. Check out these FREE Grade-Level Fractions Guides for tips & tricks plus example problems to help them review.

Preview: Rational Numbers

The world of numbers opens up for 6th graders to include positive and negative whole numbers and positive and negative fractions and terminating decimals, (decimals that do not repeat).  They will identify and place these numbers on number lines, and order a given mixture of these rational numbers. 

The new school year is here and we are excited to be on this journey with you!  From all of us at Ignite Learning Company, we are sending all students, teachers and parents good vibes for a great year full of success, accomplishments, and wonderful memories!