All concepts combined

The first decision in this mixed set is what the question wants: a side length, an area or a perimeter. Your child then identifies the dimensions that make that calculation possible. Primary 4 brings these skills together across rectangles, squares and composite figures, so a useful explanation connects the given measurements to the requested result rather than beginning with a formula chosen from memory alone.

• Choose between working backwards from an area or perimeter and working forwards from given dimensions to a required measurement.
• Use rectangle and square relationships to establish missing lengths before applying them to a larger figure.
• Combine areas of non-overlapping pieces or subtract an inner region, while treating the outside boundary separately for perimeter.
• Carry the meaning of each result through the working, distinguishing a count of tiles, a length and an area.

When an answer supplies a missing rectangle side, use it with the other side to reconstruct the given measurement. Length × breadth must recover a stated area, while twice their sum must recover a stated perimeter; checking the original quantity catches a calculation based on the wrong relationship.

The Intermediate questions combine a cut-out with tiling, a repeated-piece arrangement with perimeter, or a square's area with the boundary of a joined figure. The More questions row extends the set to a corner cut with a notch, overlapping rectangles, internal dividers, restored cut-out areas, dimensions across joined pieces, rows of unequal squares and wire reshaped into smaller squares. Choose among those additional tasks by the geometry your child is ready to connect. Ask for a short plan naming the first missing measurement and how it will be used next. Keep area and boundary calculations on separate working lines. After reviewing a solution, check whether your child can explain the link between the two stages without looking back.

What should my child identify before writing an equation? Ask for the exact region or boundary being measured and the unit the answer should use. Then identify which lengths are known and which must be found. This gives the first equation a purpose. A child who can say that a missing breadth is needed for a rectangle's area has already made a useful part of the plan.

Should every composite figure be split the same way? No single split is best for every arrangement. One question may offer two convenient rectangles, while another gives an outer rectangle and a simple cut-out. Your child should use parts whose dimensions are available or easy to derive. Comparing two valid methods can be helpful after solving, but a clear, complete first method is enough.

How can I tell whether the difficulty is geometry or arithmetic? Ask your child to describe the intended calculation without carrying it out. If the correct regions, lengths and operations are identified, the remaining difficulty may be the multiplication or division. If the proposed calculation counts an internal join or omits a region, revisit the figure interpretation first. This makes a short review more focused than repeating the entire chapter.