What math should my child know? By age 5 most children can count to 10 and recognise small numbers; by 7 they add and subtract within 20; by 9 they know their times tables; and by 11 they work confidently with fractions, decimals and multi-digit calculations. This guide sets out each stage from age 4 to 11, side by side for US grades and UK years, with a 10-minute home practice idea for every stage.
Every stage below is taken from the official documents: the US Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (used in many US states) and the national curriculum in England for mathematics. Where we suggest practice, we link to the matching sheets in our free math worksheets library, which is sorted by topic and grade.
Use the stages as a map, not a test. A child who is a little behind on one topic is often ahead on another.
What math should my child know? The age-by-age table
US grades and UK years line up by age, not by number: a 6-year-old is usually in US Grade 1 but in Year 2 in England. To see the main skills at a glance, read across the row for your child’s age.
| Age | US grade | Common Core headline skills | England year | National curriculum headline skills |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 to 5 | Pre-K | (Common Core starts at kindergarten) | Reception (EYFS) | Numbers to 10, subitise up to 5, number bonds to 5 |
| 5 to 6 | Kindergarten | Count to 100 by ones and tens; add and subtract within 5 fluently | Year 1 | Count to and across 100; count in 2s, 5s and 10s; bonds within 20 |
| 6 to 7 | Grade 1 | Add and subtract within 20; count to 120; tens and ones; time to the half hour | Year 2 | Facts to 20 fluently; 2, 5 and 10 times tables; time to 5 minutes |
| 7 to 8 | Grade 2 | Know all sums of two one-digit numbers; add within 100; numbers to 1000 | Year 3 | 3, 4 and 8 times tables; column addition with 3 digits |
| 8 to 9 | Grade 3 | Know all products of two one-digit numbers; fractions on a number line | Year 4 | All tables to 12 × 12; round to 10, 100 or 1000; decimals |
| 9 to 10 | Grade 4 | Multiply up to 4 digits by 1 digit; equivalent fractions; decimals to hundredths | Year 5 | Numbers to 1,000,000; long multiplication; percentages |
| 10 to 11 | Grade 5 | Add, subtract, multiply and divide decimals to hundredths; unlike fractions | Year 6 | Long division; fractions with different denominators; ratio |
Math skills by grade: what each stage really means
For every stage you get the skills in plain English, a worked example and a 10-minute practice idea. If you are asking “what math should my child know this year?”, jump to their age.
Ages 4 to 5: counting and number sense (Pre-K and Reception)
In England, the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework sets the end-of-Reception goals. Children at the expected level have a deep understanding of numbers to 10, can subitise (recognise a quantity without counting) up to 5, recall number bonds up to 5, verbally count beyond 20 and compare quantities up to 10. The US Common Core starts at kindergarten, so there is no national Pre-K list. The CDC’s milestones by 5 years include counting to 10 and naming some numbers between 1 and 5.
Try this: hold up fingers or roll a dice for one second and ask “how many?” without counting.
10-minute practice: dice “flash and say”, counting objects into pots of 1 to 10, then a counting song. Our preschool math worksheets add tracing and matching, and our guide to what a preschooler should know covers the other early skills.
Ages 5 to 6: counting and the first number bonds (Kindergarten and Year 1)
Common Core kindergarten asks children to count to 100 by ones and by tens, write numbers from 0 to 20, fluently add and subtract within 5, and see numbers 11 to 19 as ten ones and some more (18 = 10 + 8). England’s Year 1 asks children to count to and across 100, forwards and backwards, count in multiples of twos, fives and tens, use number bonds within 20, find a half and a quarter, and tell the time to the hour and half past.
10-minute practice: count around a printable hundreds chart in tens, then play 5 minutes of the number bonds to 10 game. The kindergarten math worksheets follow the same order, and our skip counting guide has songs and charts for counting in 2s, 5s and 10s.
Ages 6 to 7: addition and subtraction facts (Grade 1 and Year 2)
Common Core Grade 1 covers addition and subtraction within 20, with fluency within 10, counting to 120, understanding that the two digits of a number are tens and ones, and telling time in hours and half-hours. England’s Year 2 expects children to recall addition and subtraction facts to 20 fluently and to know the 2, 5 and 10 multiplication tables, including odd and even numbers. The national curriculum says that by the end of Year 2 pupils should know the number bonds to 20.
Worked example (making ten): 8 + 6. Take 2 from the 6 to make 8 up to 10, then add the 4 left over: 10 + 4 = 14.
10-minute practice: build 2-digit numbers with printable base ten blocks, then do one page from the 1st grade math worksheets. Our addition strategies guide explains making ten, doubles and near doubles.
Ages 7 to 8: place value and two-digit sums (Grade 2 and Year 3)
By the end of Common Core Grade 2, children should know from memory all sums of two one-digit numbers and fluently add and subtract within 100. They read numbers to 1000, skip-count by 5s, 10s and 100s, and tell time to the nearest five minutes. England’s Year 3 adds the 3, 4 and 8 times tables, place value in three-digit numbers, and column addition and subtraction with up to three digits.
Place value is the big idea here: in 347 the 4 is worth 40. Our place value anchor chart guide shows how to make a wall chart.
10-minute practice: two minutes of quick-fire facts (“7 + 8?”), five minutes on a 2nd grade math worksheet with 2-digit sums such as 47 + 38 = 85, then three minutes of the make 100 game.
Ages 8 to 9: times tables and first fractions (Grade 3 and Year 4)
If you ask “what math should my child know at 8?”, the short answer is times tables. Common Core says that by the end of Grade 3 children know from memory all products of two one-digit numbers. England goes further: by the end of Year 4, pupils should have memorised their multiplication tables up to and including 12 × 12. Grade 3 also introduces fractions as numbers on a number line and rounding to the nearest 10 or 100 (347 rounds to 350 and to 300).
10-minute practice: one table a week, five minutes a day on a multiplication chart or game, plus one fraction question. Our guides to fun ways to practise times tables and fractions on a number line give ready-made activities, and the 3rd grade math worksheets cover both.
Ages 9 to 10: multi-digit multiplication and equivalent fractions (Grade 4 and Year 5)
Common Core Grade 4 asks children to fluently add and subtract multi-digit whole numbers using the standard algorithm, multiply a number of up to four digits by a one-digit number, multiply two 2-digit numbers, find equivalent fractions and use decimals for tenths and hundredths. England’s Year 5 covers numbers to at least 1,000,000, multiplying up to 4 digits by a one- or two-digit number (including long multiplication), prime numbers and percentages.
Worked example (2-digit by 1-digit): 34 × 6 = (30 × 6) + (4 × 6) = 180 + 24 = 204. Our 2-digit by 1-digit multiplication guide takes this step by step before moving to the column method.
10-minute practice: three mixed table facts, two multiplication questions and one fraction strip comparison, using printable fraction strips and the 4th grade math worksheets.
Ages 10 to 11: decimals, unlike fractions and long division (Grade 5 and Year 6)
This stage answers “what math should my child know?” before middle or secondary school. The core math skills for 5th graders under Common Core are fluent multi-digit multiplication with the standard algorithm, dividing four-digit numbers by two-digit divisors, working with decimals to thousandths, and adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing decimals to hundredths. Children also add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators. England’s Year 6 adds long division, fractions with different denominators, ratio and simple algebra, and expects fluency in written methods for all four operations by the end of the year.
Worked example: 1/2 + 1/3 = 3/6 + 2/6 = 5/6. For decimals, 0.4 × 3 = 1.2, because 4 tenths three times is 12 tenths. Our guide on how to multiply decimals explains where the decimal point goes.
10-minute practice: one long multiplication, one fraction sum and one money or measurement word problem from the 5th grade math worksheets. When your child is ready for the next step, the 6th grade math worksheets continue with ratio and equations.
When do children learn times tables? US vs UK
Times tables are a big part of the math children learn between 6 and 9, and one of the clearest differences between the two systems.
| Stage | England (national curriculum) | US (Common Core) |
|---|---|---|
| Age 6 to 7 | Year 2: 2, 5 and 10 times tables; odd and even | Grade 1: no times tables yet; adding within 20 |
| Age 7 to 8 | Year 3: 3, 4 and 8 times tables | Grade 2: equal groups, arrays up to 5 by 5, odd and even |
| Age 8 to 9 | Year 4: all tables up to 12 × 12, memorised | Grade 3: all products of two one-digit numbers from memory |
| Age 9 to 11 | Years 5 and 6: use tables in long multiplication and division | Grades 4 and 5: use facts for multi-digit multiplication and division |
For the trickier facts, our times tables tricks cover the 9s finger trick and patterns in the 4s and 8s.
Math practice at home: a 10-minute routine for any age
Whatever the answer to “what math should my child know?” at your child’s age, the practice routine is the same. Ten minutes, four or five days a week, keeps facts fresh without a battle.
- Warm-up (2 minutes): number bonds or times tables out loud.
- Focus (5 minutes): one skill from their stage above, using a worksheet, blocks or a printable number line.
- Game (3 minutes): finish with something fun, such as our free online math games for kids.
Keep a tick list of facts your child knows; it shows you exactly what to practise next.
Common mistakes parents make with math at home
Knowing the stages is half the job; how you practise is the other half.
- Racing ahead. Pushing long multiplication before times tables are secure makes both harder. Check the earlier rows first.
- Teaching a different method. Schools may use number lines, partitioning or the column method. Ask which one your child uses and practise that.
- Only doing worksheets. Cooking, shopping and telling the time are real maths too.
- Long sessions. Thirty minutes of tears teaches a child that maths is miserable.
Is my child behind in math? Signs to watch
If you have checked the table for your child’s age and spotted one gap, it is not a crisis. It is worth talking to the teacher if your child still counts on fingers for every small sum after Grade 2 or Year 3, avoids numbers altogether, or has not secured the facts from the row below their age. Practising the earlier stage for a few weeks often closes small gaps.
Related guides and printables
- Common Core math worksheets by grade
- Skip counting for kids: charts and songs
- How to make a place value anchor chart
- Fun ways to practise times tables
- How to teach a child to tell time
- Printable clock for telling time practice
Sources
Our answers to what math should my child know at each age come from the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (kindergarten to Grade 5), the mathematics programmes of study for key stages 1 and 2 and the EYFS statutory framework; and the CDC milestones by 5 years. US states and schools may set their own standards.
Frequently asked questions
7 quick answers
What math should my child know before starting kindergarten?
Most children starting kindergarten can count to about 10, recognise some numbers from 1 to 5 and compare small groups. The CDC lists counting to 10 and naming some numbers between 1 and 5 among its milestones by age 5.
What math should a 1st grader know by the end of the year?
Under Common Core, a 1st grader adds and subtracts within 20 (fluently within 10), counts to 120, understands tens and ones, and tells time in hours and half-hours.
What age do children learn times tables?
In England the 2, 5 and 10 tables come in Year 2 (age 6 to 7) and all tables up to 12 × 12 should be memorised by the end of Year 4 (age 8 to 9). Under Common Core, children know all products of two one-digit numbers by the end of Grade 3 (age 8 to 9).
What are the most important math skills for 5th graders?
The key math skills for 5th graders are multi-digit multiplication and division, adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators, and all four operations with decimals to hundredths.
How much math practice should my child do at home?
About 10 minutes, four or five days a week, is enough for most primary-age children. Keep it short, follow one skill at a time and end with a game.
What math should my child know at age 7?
At 7, children usually know addition and subtraction facts within 20 and are adding 2-digit numbers. In England they also know the 2, 5 and 10 times tables (Year 2); in the US, Grade 2 children work with numbers to 1000.
Is Year 1 in the UK the same as 1st grade in the US?
No. Year 1 in England (age 5 to 6) matches US kindergarten by age, and US Grade 1 (age 6 to 7) matches Year 2.