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Japan’s elementary curriculum, year by year
For parents who want to know what their child is meant to learn in a Japanese elementary school, and how to practise it at home. Each row points to the section of the official curriculum (小学校学習指導要領, 2017) it comes from.
Checked on Thu 22 Oct 2026 against the official curriculum document below. This page is our own summary, not the official text.
Topics and where to practise them
| Year | Subject | What children learn | Official section | Practise with |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | Maths (算数) | See a number as the sum or difference of other numbers, such as 10 = 7 + 3. | 算数 第1学年 A(1)ア(エ) | Make 10 (number bonds) |
| Year 1 | Maths (算数) | Add one-digit numbers and do the matching subtractions, quickly and reliably. | 算数 第1学年 A(2)ア(ウ) | 100-cell grid Make 10 (number bonds) |
| Year 1 | Maths (算数) | Read the time on a clock. | 算数 第1学年 C(2)ア(ア) | Clock and money |
| Year 1–2 | Japanese (国語) | Read and write hiragana and katakana. | 国語 第1学年及び第2学年 〔知識及び技能〕(1)ウ | Tracing sheets Finger tracing (kana) |
| All years | Japanese (国語) | Read the kanji of each school year and write them in sentences (1,026 kanji in all, listed year by year in the official table). | 国語 各学年 〔知識及び技能〕(1)エ・別表 | Kanji by school year |
| Year 2 | Maths (算数) | Add and subtract two-digit numbers, including in columns (筆算). | 算数 第2学年 A(2)ア(ア) | Column sums, digit by digit Worksheet maker |
| Year 2 | Maths (算数) | Learn the times tables (九九) and multiply two one-digit numbers reliably. | 算数 第2学年 A(3)ア(エ) | Times-table sprint 100-cell grid |
| Year 2 | Maths (算数) | Know days, hours and minutes and how they relate. | 算数 第2学年 C(2)ア(ア) | Clock and money |
| Year 3 | Maths (算数) | Multiply in columns, and divide by a one-digit number. | 算数 第3学年 A(3)ア(ア)・A(4)ア(エ) | Worksheet maker Column sums, digit by digit |
| Year 3 | Maths (算数) | Understand what a fraction means, such as 1/2 or 1/3 of something. | 算数 第3学年 A(6)ア(ア)(イ) | Fraction strips |
| Year 3 | Maths (算数) | Work out times and how long something takes. | 算数 第3学年 C(2)ア(イ) | Clock and money |
| Year 3 | Japanese (国語) | Read and write simple words in rōmaji (Latin letters). | 国語 第3学年及び第4学年 〔知識及び技能〕(1)ウ | Typing practice |
| Year 3–4 | Maths (算数) | Use the soroban to add and subtract. | 算数 第3学年 A(8)・第4学年 A(8) | Soroban (abacus) |
| Year 4 | Maths (算数) | Find fractions of the same size, and add and subtract fractions with the same denominator. | 算数 第4学年 A(5)ア(ア)(イ) | Fraction strips Worksheet maker |
| Year 4 | Maths (算数) | Draw and read sketches and nets of cubes and cuboids. | 算数 第4学年 B(2)ア(ウ) | Cube nets |
| Year 5 | Maths (算数) | Compare fractions, and add and subtract fractions with different denominators. | 算数 第5学年 A(4)ア(エ)・A(5)ア(ア) | Fraction strips Worksheet maker |
| All years | Social studies (社会) | By the end of elementary school, know the names and places of the 47 prefectures. | 社会 第3 指導計画の作成と内容の取扱い 1(3) | Map puzzle |
Practise with Pencilhop
Start with the kanji of your child’s school year, the times tables, the soroban or the prefecture map.