IB PYP Mathematics Curriculum Map

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IB Maths PYP is not a list of topics to rush through before the next year group. It is a way of helping young learners notice quantity, pattern, space, change and evidence in the world around them. The strongest programmes make mathematics visible in everyday inquiry while protecting time for explicit teaching, practice and reflection.

The curriculum map above is a practical Full Marks Education planning framework. It translates the IB's five PYP mathematics strands into a recommended Year 1–6 progression: Number; Pattern and function; Measurement; Shape and space; and Data handling. It is a planning guide rather than an official grade-by-grade IB prescription. The IB describes learning through developmental continuums, so schools should adapt the sequence to learner readiness, language, local requirements and their own programme of inquiry.

What makes mathematics “PYP”?

PYP mathematics combines conceptual understanding, knowledge and skills with agency. Students should be able to explain what a mathematical idea means, choose a representation, test a conjecture and communicate their thinking—not only produce an answer. Inquiry gives those actions a meaningful context, while carefully sequenced lessons make sure students have the tools to participate successfully.

That balance matters. Open-ended exploration without enough modelling can leave misconceptions unaddressed; a sequence of disconnected exercises can make mathematics feel like compliance. A PYP classroom moves deliberately between concrete materials, drawings, language, symbols, discussion and application.

Five strands, one connected programme

Number

Number begins with counting, one-to-one correspondence, comparison and composing or partitioning quantities. It develops through place value, the four operations, fractions, decimals, estimation and multiplicative reasoning. Ask students to represent the same idea in more than one way: objects, a number line, a diagram, an equation and a spoken explanation.

Pattern and function

Patterns are an early route into algebraic thinking. Learners notice what repeats or changes, describe a rule, predict a later term and explain why the rule works. The map moves from visual and action patterns to number relationships, input-output rules, sequences and simple functions. The important progression is from noticing to generalizing.

Measurement

Measurement is about attributes and relationships, not just selecting a unit. Children compare length, mass, capacity and time before becoming more precise with standard units, perimeter, area, volume, scales, timetables and money. Estimation should appear before calculation so that students develop a sense of whether a result is reasonable.

Shape and space

Students build spatial reasoning by describing, sorting and composing shapes, then exploring symmetry, position, direction, transformations, coordinates and geometric relationships. Invite multiple constructions and explanations. A shape is not “a square because it looks like one”; it is a figure whose properties can be named, tested and connected to other figures.

Data handling

Data work gives young learners a language for asking questions and making evidence-based claims. Progress from sorting and pictographs to bar graphs, sets, surveys, probability and interpretation. Always discuss what was collected, how it was represented and what the display may hide. Data literacy is part of mathematical communication and responsible citizenship.

How to use the six-year map

The map contains 30 recommended units and 300 lesson-sized sections: five strand-based units in each of Years 1–6, with ten sections per unit. The phase bands are planning signals, not rigid age labels. A Year 2 learner may need more time with a Year 1 idea, while another learner may be ready to extend it.

Start with the Unit Map. Review the whole-school progression and identify where concepts are introduced, revisited and extended.
Move to Section Sequence. Use the lesson codes to plan a manageable sequence, then adjust the pace using formative evidence.
Use Learning Stage intentionally. Plan opportunities to connect, construct, transfer, practise and reflect rather than treating every lesson as the same kind of activity.
Make the PYP Alignment visible. Link mathematics to transdisciplinary inquiries without forcing a superficial context onto a good mathematical question.
Check the sources before revising. Keep the distinction clear between official IB developmental guidance and the school's recommended order.

Planning an inquiry-rich mathematics lesson

A reliable lesson arc can be short and repeatable:

Launch: pose a puzzling situation, image, object or question.
Model: make the mathematical language and representation explicit.
Explore: let students choose tools, compare strategies and look for structure.
Discuss: select examples that reveal a connection, misconception or useful generalization.
Apply and reflect: transfer the idea to a new context and explain what changed.

For example, a class investigating “How we organize ourselves” might compare ways to share a collection fairly. The mathematics could include equal groups, fractions, remainders and data about the strategies students choose. The inquiry context gives the problem purpose, but the teacher still names the mathematics, records representations and checks understanding.

Assessment that supports agency

Assessment in PYP mathematics should gather evidence of understanding while students are still learning. Listen to explanations, photograph models, collect representations, ask students to revise a conjecture and use exit prompts that reveal the reason behind an answer. A useful rubric can separate accuracy from representation, reasoning, communication and reflection.

Keep a balance between fluency and transfer. Short retrieval practice helps students become efficient with important facts and procedures; rich tasks show whether they can choose and use those ideas in an unfamiliar situation. Both are necessary for confident, independent mathematicians.

A final planning question

When reviewing a PYP mathematics unit, ask: What will students understand, what will they be able to do, and how will they know their thinking is becoming more powerful? If the answer is visible in the sequence, the representations, the questions and the evidence you collect, the curriculum is doing more than covering content. It is helping learners see mathematics as a way to make sense of their world.

Use the IB PYP Mathematics Curriculum Map as a living planning document: adapt the order, preserve the conceptual connections and return to it whenever your evidence about learners changes.

IB Maths PYP: A Practical Guide to Planning Primary Mathematics