Grade 4 Mathematics Geomerty – Position And Direction Notes
Mathematics — Geometry
Subtopic: Position and Direction (age 9, Kenyan primary)
What you will learn
- Words for position: next to, between, in front of, behind, above, below, near, far.
- Directions: left, right, up, down and simple compass points: North, South, East, West.
- How to read a simple grid and give a position using coordinates.
1. Important words (with examples)
- Next to — The tree is next to the house. (They are side by side.)
- Between — The ball is between the chair and the table.
- In front of / Behind — The car is in front of the garage. The bike is behind the garage.
- Above / Below — The bird is above the roof. The root is below the soil.
- Near / Far — The shop is near my house. The mountain is far from the town.
- Left / Right / Up / Down — Use these when you move or point.
2. Simple compass (useful for maps)
Compass
N
E
S
W
North (N) points to the top of a map. East (E) is to the right. South (S) is down. West (W) is to the left.
Use these when reading maps or giving directions.
3. Read a grid — find positions
This is a small town map on a grid. Columns are numbered 1–5, rows are lettered A–E.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| A | 🌳 Tree |
🏠 House |
⬜ | 🏫 School |
⬜ |
| B | ⬜ | 🚌 Bus |
⬜ | 🛒 Shop |
⬜ |
| C | 🏥 Clinic |
⬜ | ⭐ Market |
⬜ | 🏠 |
| D | ⬜ | ⬜ | ⬜ | ⛽ Station |
⬜ |
| E | ⬜ | 🏀 Playground |
⬜ | ⬜ | 🌊 River |
4. Examples — How to say a position
- The House at column 2, row A is at position 2A (or (2, A)).
- The Market is at 3C. The River is at 5E.
- The Bus is below the House (Bus at 2B, House at 2A).
- The Shop is to the right of the School (Shop 4B, School 4A).
5. Practice (you can try these)
- Where is the Tree? (Answer in grid code)
- What is at 3C?
- Is the Playground near or far from the School?
- From the House at 2A, move 1 square down then 2 squares right. Where are you?
- Give directions from the School (4A) to the Shop (4B) using up/down/left/right or N/E/S/W.
6. Answers
- 1. Tree is at 1A.
- 2. 3C is the Market (⭐).
- 3. The Playground (2E) is far from the School (4A).
- 4. From 2A: down 1 → goes to 2B, then right 2 → goes to 4B (Shop).
- 5. From School to Shop: go down 1 step (4A → 4B) or say "South 1" if using the compass.
7. Fun activity — Treasure Hunt
Teacher or parent writes a start square (for example 1A). Give children directions like:
- Start at 1A (Tree).
- Go 2 steps East.
- Go 1 step South.
- Go 1 step East.
Tips for learners
- Always decide which way is North on your map before using directions.
- Use words like "left" and "right" when facing something — your left is not the same as someone facing you.
- Practise by drawing a small map of your home or school and labelling positions.
Enjoy learning positions and directions! Use a small map for practice and try giving directions to a friend.