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Year 4 Maths — Area by counting squares

Measure the area of a shape on squared paper by counting the squares it covers, including half squares.

Name: ________________________

Before you start

Three shapes sit on the same grid of squares. Count the squares under each one and compare what you find with how big each shape looks.

123
  1. 1. Shape A
  2. 2. Shape B
  3. 3. Shape C

Shape B is the tallest and Shape C is the widest, but neither of those is what decides the area — only the count of squares does.

  1. 1.An L-shape is made of a rectangle 5 squares by 3 squares joined to a rectangle 2 squares by 2 squares. How many squares does it cover altogether?

  2. 2.Match each rectangle to the number of squares it covers.

    • 2 across and 3 down
    • 3 across and 3 down
    • 4 across and 5 down
    • 6 across and 6 down
    • 9
    • 36
    • 20
    • 6

  3. 3.A shape covers 20 full squares and 6 half squares. What is its area, in squares?

  4. 4.A shape covers 9 full squares and 4 half squares. What is its area, in squares?

  5. 5.Put these rectangles in order by how many squares they cover, fewest first.

    • 4 across and 4 down
    • 6 across and 5 down
    • 2 across and 5 down
    • 3 across and 4 down
    • 5 across and 4 down

  6. 6.A rectangle on squared paper is 7 squares across and 4 squares down. How many squares does it cover?

  7. 7.Which rectangle covers the most squares?

    • a) 3 across and 6 down
    • b) 4 across and 4 down
    • c) 5 across and 3 down
    • d) 2 across and 8 down

  8. 8.A rectangle covers 24 squares and is 6 squares across. How many squares tall is it?

Answer key — Year 4 Maths — Area by counting squares

  1. 1. 19
  2. 2. 2 across and 3 down → 6; 3 across and 3 down → 9; 4 across and 5 down → 20; 6 across and 6 down → 36
  3. 3. 23
  4. 4. 11
  5. 5. 1. 2 across and 5 down 2. 3 across and 4 down 3. 4 across and 4 down 4. 5 across and 4 down 5. 6 across and 5 down
  6. 6. 28
  7. 7. a) 3 across and 6 down
  8. 8. 4