Curricula and courses of instruction are handled differently in different countries, communities, and at different levels of education.
 Curricular reform
Many countries have embarked on programs of c. reform in an effort to improve or 'modernize' their educational systems.
- Developed their own primary math and language/literacy texts. Just two texts for primary school, from which everyone can be taught; an improvement on what is there now. Worked with help from Japan; the government owns the copyright to the results.
- Often focusing on "coherence and integrity", "foundational elements" covering [[#humanities|]], [[#arts|]], and [[#social science|]].
- Breadth and depth
- Variety of opinion; self-conscious about systemic bias (but rarely able to address this comprehensively; so addressed within specific guidelines)
 By topic
- Identifying objects. Borders. Shapes, 2d & 3d. Colors. not like the others.
- triangles, rectangles, ovals, cuboids, pyramids, spheres, cylinders, polyhedra
- angles, length, capacity/volume, time, weight
- Equivalence classes: lists, clusters, classification
- Counting, place value
- addition, subtraction, sequences
- Decimals, fractions, number line.
- Multiplication, division. Ratio/%, proportion.
- Basic probability.
- Simple word problems, visual puzzles
- Intro to the 'why' of math: how it is helpful
- Senses: temperature, light, weather, seasons, sound.
- Flora & fauna: names, classes, sounds, smells, colors
- The body: parts, pulse, movement
- Materials: solids & liquids
- Abstraction: Earth and sky; terms & concepts
- Measurement: properties of materials, plant & animal life cycles
- dissolving, melting, boiling, condensing, freezing, evaporation; water cycle
- Basic electricity & magnets (observation)
- Physics: gravity, friction, resistance, vibration
- Astronomy: day & night, shadows & seasons, stars & sun & moon
 Health, Physical science
- Basic anatomy, medicine, nutrition, health
- Exercise, diet, drugs, tooth/skin/hair care