The mathematics curriculum guides, published by the CDC, set forth the goals of primary and secondary mathematics education clearly.18,19 The goals of the primary mathematics curriculum are:

Stimulate interest in the learning of mathematics
Help students understand and acquire basic mathematical concepts and computational skills
Help students develop creativity and the ability to think, communicate, and solve problems
Help students develop number and spatial sense and the ability to appreciate patterns and structures of number and shapes
Enhance students’ lifelong learning abilities through basic mathematical knowledge
The curriculum covers five content areas at the primary level: Number; Shape and Space; Measurement; Data Handling; and Algebra.20 Algebra is introduced in Grade 5 (Primary 5). Exhibit 1 presents the mathematics topics taught in each content area at the primary level.