The Mathematics Curriculum in Primary and Lower Secondary Grades
The authorized mathematics curriculum in Saudi Arabia is similar to curricula published by McGraw Hill. These curricula are based upon balanced learning and rely on vertical interdependence among the curricula established for the various grades to develop cognitive understanding and mathematical skills for all grades. Specifically, this approach depends upon the following:
- Examining concepts and building cognitive skills
- Developing mathematical skills and ways of mastering them
- Applying mathematics logically to solve problems from daily life
In the fourth year of primary education (Grade 4), mathematics textbooks cover five domains—Number, Algebra, Measurement, Geometry, and Statistics—and content discussed within these domains includes the following:
- Number—Whole numbers and comparisons of whole numbers; place value up to 1 million; the concept of fractions; equivalent fractions (comparing, ordering, and placing them on the number line); and categorizing fractions (rational, irrational, and decimal)
- Algebra—Defining and explaining patterns of multiplication and division; properties of addition and multiplication; basics of subtraction and division; and algebraic representations of number sentences
- Measurement—Units of length, area, volume, and mass; time intervals; and perimeter and area of squares
- Geometry—Categorizing and describing solids; geometric concepts of lines (e.g., parallelism and perpendicularity); angles and types of angles; polygons (e.g., triangles and congruence); and locating numbers and fractions on the number line and the coordinate plane
- Statistics—Collecting and categorizing data; creating bar graphs; reading and explaining data; and finding median and mode
In the second year of intermediate education (Grade 8), mathematics textbooks cover five similar domains: Number, Algebra, Measurement, Geometry, and Statistics and Probabilities. Content discussed includes the following:
- Number—Proportionality; rate of change; scale; percentage and its applications; whole numbers, integers, and rational and irrational numbers; and square roots
- Algebra—Arithmetic progression; simplifying algebraic expressions; algebraic transformations; solving linear equations and inequalities; functions and their applications; and slope
- Measurement—Perimeter and area of a circle; and surface area and volume of prisms, pyramids, and cylinders.
- Geometry—The Pythagorean theorem; identification of polygons; the relationship between lines and angles; plotting points on the coordinate plane and the distance between two points in the plane; and geometric transformations of figures (e.g., symmetry across a line or around a point, translations, and scale changes)
- Statistics and Probabilities—Histograms; pie charts; data presentation; measures of central tendency; range; and measures of dispersion