y4 homework - fractions, decimals...is this normal??

[purpleduck]

My ds brought his homework back this last weekend - he had questions like:

1/2 + 3/4 + 1/4 = ?

and

(6x _) + 20 = 40 + 4

and

1.7 + 2.5 + 5.8 = ?

Does this sound right? He is in the highest group, but honestly....!!!

It is quite high level in my experience of Yr 4 (as a parent not a teacher) but DS1 (now year 5) could have managed that at the start of yr 4 too. If your DS is in the highest ability group, why are you worried? Is he struggling with it?

Perhaps the teacher is using some of these to test the limits of what they can do so she/he can sort them into ability groups for her/himself?

they don't seem that tricky for an able year 4 student.....

seriously..?

It just seemed like a bit of a leap...

I'd say the third one would be OK but the first two are quite a stretch even for a child in the highest group - is your DS at a private school ?

I would expect DS (starting Y4) to be able to do first two, based on work he was doing in Y3 - BUT he may need some support in "reminding" him of the methods for the second one.

first one is actually easier than it looks. they just need to know that 3/4 + 1/4 = 1
second one is quite hard (my first year u/g have problems with basic algebra) and the third one is tricky too (long addition + need to take care with decimal point)

dd1 wouldn't know where to start with those and she's just started yr 4

No n5, my ds is not a private school...

He hasn't been taught to add in columns, so I think that would make the decimals hard.

Looks about right to me. DD in year 4 but not in top set would be okay with these. Top set are doing much more complex stuff.