For parents

Maths at school.

The Swedish curriculum (Lgr22) divides mathematics into five areas. Here is what each area means, and what children typically work on in Years 1–3, 4–6 and 7–9 — so you can see roughly where your child is.

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Number sense

Number sense is about understanding what numbers are and how they work — counting, comparing and using the four operations. A secure grasp of number is the foundation for all other maths.

Years 1–3

  • Counting forwards and backwards, comparing and partitioning numbers
  • Understanding ones, tens and hundreds (place value)
  • Addition and subtraction within 0–100 with secure strategies
  • Early multiplication and division, simple fractions (a half, a quarter)

Years 4–6

  • Large numbers and decimals
  • Secure written methods for all four operations, mental maths and estimation
  • Fractions, decimals and percentages — and how they connect
  • Negative numbers introduced

Years 7–9

  • Calculating with negative numbers, powers and square roots
  • Moving between fractions, decimals, percentages and index form
  • Percentages in everyday life: change, interest, discounts

Algebra

Algebra is about finding patterns, understanding relationships and working with unknown numbers. It starts long before x — with the equals sign and number sequences.

Years 1–3

  • Spotting and continuing patterns and sequences
  • Understanding the equals sign: both sides are worth the same
  • Simple missing-number problems, like 3 + __ = 7

Years 4–6

  • Unknown numbers and simple equations
  • Expressions with variables and rule-based patterns
  • Proportional relationships

Years 7–9

  • Simplifying expressions and solving equations
  • Linear functions and graphs
  • Using formulas in everyday life and other subjects

Geometry

Geometry covers shapes, measurement and spatial thinking — from recognising a triangle to calculating angles, area and volume.

Years 1–3

  • Recognising and naming common 2D and 3D shapes
  • Position words and symmetry
  • Measuring length with a ruler, telling the time

Years 4–6

  • Angles, perimeter and area
  • Scale, coordinates and converting units (length, weight, volume)
  • Describing and comparing geometric objects

Years 7–9

  • Angle sums, Pythagoras and similarity
  • Volume and surface area
  • Scale in two and three dimensions, constructions

Probability and statistics

Children learn to collect, present and interpret data — and to understand chance. This builds the critical thinking needed to make sense of news, graphs and everyday decisions.

Years 1–3

  • Sorting and counting objects, simple tables and bar charts
  • Talking about chance in games: certain, possible, impossible

Years 4–6

  • Reading and drawing different kinds of charts
  • Mean, mode and median
  • Simple probability, often written as a fraction

Years 7–9

  • Multi-step probability and combinatorics
  • Carrying out statistical investigations
  • Reading statistics critically — including misleading graphs

Maths and problem-solving

The fifth area is not a topic of its own but the ability to use maths to solve problems — in words, pictures and real-life situations. It trains logical reasoning and choosing the right strategy.

Years 1–3

  • Solving everyday word problems
  • Drawing a picture of the problem and choosing the operation
  • Explaining your thinking

Years 4–6

  • Strategies: draw, try, simplify, find a pattern
  • Problems that take several steps
  • Judging whether an answer is reasonable

Years 7–9

  • Applying maths to everyday and societal problems
  • Comparing and evaluating different methods
  • Reasoning and arguing for a solution
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