Class 4 continues CBSE’s computational thinking sequence — 50 hours a year inside Mathematics and The World Around Us, no AI content, no devices required. What changes from Class 3 is the demand: pathfinding replaces simple sequencing, multi-digit reasoning replaces counting, and children start reading data from tables rather than pictures.
The Class 4 chapter list
From the official CBSE Class 4 handbook, with the topics each chapter covers:
| # | Chapter | Topics |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shapes Around Us | Visual pattern recognition, cube folding, geometric properties |
| 2 | Hide and Seek | Pathfinding, spatial reasoning, directional navigation |
| 3 | Patterns Around Us | Number sequences, odd/even identification, pattern completion |
| 4 | Thousands Around Us | Place value, number ordering, digit manipulation |
| 5 | Sharing and Measuring | Fractions, proportions, measurement concepts |
| 6 | Measuring Length | Distance comparison, perimeter, path analysis |
| 7 | The Cleanest Village | Arithmetic operations, quantity comparisons |
| 8 | Weigh It, Pour It | Weight relationships, capacity, balance concepts |
| 9 | Equal Groups | Grouping, multiplication, divisibility |
| 10 | Elephants, Tigers, and Leopards | Multi-digit numbers, digit relationships |
| 11 | Fun with Symmetry | Mirror images, symmetrical properties, folding patterns |
| 12 | Ticking Clocks and Turning Calendar | Time calculations, scheduling, day sequences |
| 13 | The Transport Museum | Division, capacity, product relationships |
| 14 | Data Handling | Table interpretation, data analysis, logical deduction |
Each chapter contains explorations, activities and ten or more problem-solving questions.
The three chapters that carry the most CT weight
Not every chapter is equally computational. Three are worth extra preparation time because they do work no other chapter does.
- Hide and Seek is the algorithmic thinking chapter. Pathfinding is the clearest example in the whole preparatory stage of a procedure that can be written, followed and improved. Have children write directions for a partner and then follow them exactly, including the mistakes — that failure is the lesson.
- Fun with Symmetry is abstraction. A child who can predict a fold without folding has held a transformation in their head, which is what abstraction is.
- Data Handling is where the curriculum quietly starts preparing for Class 6 AI. Reading a table and drawing a conclusion from it is the same operation that later becomes classification.
How Class 4 differs from Class 3
| Dimension | Class 3 | Class 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Sequencing | Follow a given set of steps | Write and test your own steps (Hide and Seek) |
| Patterns | Spot what repeats | Predict, extend and complete sequences |
| Data | Read from pictures | Read from tables and deduce |
| Number | Hundreds | Thousands, place value, digit manipulation |
The step from following a procedure to writing one is the significant jump. Children find it harder than teachers expect, because it requires being explicit about steps you normally perform without noticing.
The 50 hours and who teaches them
Fifty hours a year, integrated into Mathematics and The World Around Us — no separate period, and the class teacher is normally the right person rather than the ICT teacher. Roughly one CT-flavoured lesson a week across the year works better than short daily fragments, because these activities need discussion time.
What teachers get wrong at Class 4
- Correcting the path instead of running it. In Hide and Seek, the value is in following a flawed instruction literally so the child sees where it breaks. Fixing it for them removes the lesson.
- Treating Data Handling as a graph exercise. The point is the deduction, not the drawing.
- Moving too fast through symmetry. Predicting before folding is the abstraction; folding first turns it into craft.
- Marking only the answer. A clear wrong method beats an unexplained right answer at this stage.
Frequently asked questions
Is there AI in the Class 4 syllabus?
No. AI begins at Class 6. Class 4 is computational thinking only, though Data Handling lays groundwork the Class 6 AI chapters build on.
How many chapters are in CBSE CT Class 4?
Fourteen, each with explorations, activities and ten or more problem-solving questions.
Do we need a computer lab for Class 4 CT?
No. Every Class 4 chapter works unplugged with paper, objects and discussion.
How is Class 4 CT assessed?
Continuously and formatively — teacher observation, activity work and reflection rather than a terminal written test. Keep a short per-child record against the four competencies through the year.
Can the maths teacher teach this alongside the regular syllabus?
Yes — that is the design. The content is embedded in Mathematics and TWAU precisely so it does not need a separate slot or specialist. What it does need is a teacher who understands which competency each chapter targets.
PiyushAI provides chapter-exact CT & AI resources for Classes 3–8 and teacher training aligned to the CBSE handbooks. Founded by Piyush Wairale (IIT Madras).
Related: CBSE AI curriculum 2026–27 overview · Class 3 · Class 5 · AI literacy for schools
Source: CBSE Computational Thinking & AI Class 4 handbooks (2026–27), cbseacademic.nic.in.
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