📅 Last Reviewed: July 2026 · ✍️ By: PSLE Hero Editorial Team
Primary 4 is a critical year in Singapore primary mathematics. The curriculum widens significantly — introducing decimals, factors, unlike fractions, composite area and perimeter, and geometry — and the difficulty of word problems increases. Students who build strong foundations in P4 find the P5 transition much more manageable. This guide covers the P4 syllabus and how to prepare your child for what comes next.
📖 This page is part of the Singapore Primary Math series. Start with the Singapore Math parent guide for an overview. After P4, see the Primary 5 Maths guide for the transition to the most challenging year.
P4 introduces several entirely new topics while deepening the fractions and measurement skills started in P3. By the end of P4, students should be able to solve two-step word problems involving fractions, decimals, and measurement.
Identifying factors, multiples, common factors and common multiples up to 100
Mixed numbers, improper fractions, fraction of a set, add/subtract fractions with up to two different denominators
Decimals up to 3 decimal places, add/subtract up to 2 decimal places, multiply/divide by a 1-digit whole number
Multiplication (up to 4-digit by 1-digit, 3-digit by 2-digit) and division (up to 4-digit by 1-digit)
Composite figures made up of rectangles and squares, finding one dimension given the area or perimeter
Rectangle and square properties, line symmetry, nets of solids, measuring and drawing angles in degrees
Reading and interpreting tables, line graphs and pie charts, completing tables from given data
Two-step word problems using bar models, combining fractions, decimals and measurement
Three skills developed in P4 directly determine how well a student copes with the P5 difficulty jump:
Parent priority: If your child is in P4 and struggles with fractions, make this the single focus for the year. Mastering fractions in P4 is the highest-leverage action you can take for their P5 success. Use bar models to visualise every fraction problem — the drawing habit pays off in P5.
Here is a typical P4 problem that combines fractions with bar model reasoning — the exact type of two-step question that prepares students for P5.
A fruit stall had 120 apples. \(\frac{2}{5}\) of the apples were red and the rest were green. How many more green apples than red apples were there?
Teaching tip: For fraction word problems, encourage your child to always draw a bar model and label the units. The key step is asking "what is 1 unit?" Once they find 1 unit, the rest of the problem becomes straightforward. This habit — finding the value of one unit — is the same skill that P5 percentage problems and P6 ratio problems require.
Singapore Primary Math & Education Guides:
Consistent practice with worked solutions builds the fraction and bar model skills that prepare students for P5. The Singapore Primary Math app offers structured P4-level questions across all syllabus topics.
Try Singapore Primary Math on AndroidMost P4 students find fractions — especially equivalent fractions and addition/subtraction of unlike fractions — the most challenging. The second hardest is composite area and perimeter, which involves multiple steps and requires students to find missing side lengths before calculating.
Yes. P3 fractions are limited to like fractions (same denominator) and simple fractions of a whole. P4 introduces unlike denominators, mixed numbers, and improper fractions — a significant jump in abstraction. Most students need several months to adjust. Focus on bar model drawing for every fraction problem.
This guide focuses on the P4 syllabus and how to prepare for the P5 transition. The P5 Maths guide covers the P5 syllabus in depth, including why P5 is harder and how to manage the difficulty jump.
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