What math should a 5-year-old know? A parent's checklist

Many 5-year-olds are learning to count past 20, tell how many are in a small group, add and take away tiny amounts with objects, and name basic shapes. In the US these are kindergarten goals for the whole school year. Children vary, and the order of skills matters more than the date.

What counts as “typical” at age 5?

The US Common Core standards for kindergarten (most children start it at 5 and turn 6 during the year) are a useful map. They describe what children should know by the end of the year, so most children are still working toward them at the start. In England, the same children are in Reception or Year 1; this guide uses US terms.

Use the lists below to see where your child is and what to play next.

What counting should my child know at this age?

By the end of US kindergarten the standards ask children to:

• count to 100 by ones and by tens
• start counting from a number other than 1, such as “5, 6, 7…”
• write numbers from 0 to 20
• count out a requested number of objects, up to 20
• tell which of two groups has more, fewer or the same

A 5-year-old who is earlier in this path might count 10 buttons by touching each once and then say “ten” when you ask how many. The IES practice guide for teaching math to young children recommends teaching number and operations using a developmental progression, a sequence in which each skill prepares the next.

If your child skips objects or counts one twice, go back to touching and moving each item. Our guide on how to teach a child to count has the steps.

A short counting check you can try

Sit down with a bowl of 12 small items such as raisins or buttons, and keep small items away from younger brothers and sisters. Over a few minutes, and only if your child is happy to play, try these in order:

1. “Can you count to 10 for me?” Listen for the order of the words.
2. “Put 5 in this cup.” Watch whether your child stops at 5 or keeps going.
3. “How many are in the cup?” See whether they recount or say the last number.
4. “Start at 6 and keep going.” Counting forward from a given number is a kindergarten goal.
5. Make two small piles and ask “Which has more?”

Use what you see to decide where to play next. The number of items changes how hard it is, and so does the layout. The standards ask children to count more things in a line, a rectangular array or a circle than in a scattered group, so expect a pile on the table to be harder than a row.

Should my child be able to add and subtract yet?

The kindergarten standards ask children to add and subtract within 10, using objects, fingers, drawings, claps or acting out a story. Within 5, the goal is to do it fluently. Written equations are only one of the options.

A typical moment: you say “You have 4 crackers and eat 1.” Your child holds up 4 fingers, folds one down, and says “3.”

Counting on fingers is fine. The standards list fingers next to objects and drawings as ways to show adding and taking away.

Another thing 5-year-olds often work on is splitting a number into two parts. Five can be 2 and 3, or 4 and 1. This is the beginning of number bonds, and it makes later adding easier.

Which shapes and position words come up?

The standards ask children to name shapes whether they are turned or small or large, to say whether a shape is flat or solid, and to use words such as above, below, beside, in front of, behind and next to.

At home, this sounds like “The ball is under the table” and “That window is a rectangle.”

How do I know my child is ready for more?

Look for these signs:

• Your child counts a group, and when you ask “How many?” says the last number without recounting.
• They can say what comes after 7 or 12 without starting from 1.
• They tell which pile has more by looking or by matching items one to one.
• They answer a small story (“2 and 1 more”) without needing every item in front of them.
• They ask for another turn at a counting or shape game.

If most of these are steady, try the next step: counting to 30, bigger groups, or splitting 6 to 10 into two parts. If several are shaky, stay with objects and smaller numbers. If you are concerned about your child’s progress, talk to their teacher.

What can we do at home each day?

The IES practice guide recommends teaching children to view and describe their world mathematically and to give math time every day. At home, that can be short and ordinary.

1. Count steps, grapes or toy cars. Touch each one once.
2. Ask “Do we have enough?” when you set the table: one fork for each person.
3. Sort laundry by owner or color, then count each pile.
4. Play “one more, one less”: 6 blocks, then add one, then take one away.
5. Hunt for shapes on a walk and use position words: “The sign is above the door.”
6. Roll a die and show the number on your fingers before saying it.

Five minutes is enough. Stop while it is still fun.

What if my child is not there yet?

Children reach these skills at different times, and a child who finds them hard in September may be steady by spring. Keep the activities short and playful, go back to smaller numbers if a step is frustrating, and tell your child’s teacher what you see. Avoid comparing with a classmate or sibling. Counting well to 10 with objects is a better base than reciting to 100 without them.

If your child is already past this list, the next step is the make-ten and teen-number work in Kindergarten math, and early addition stories at home.

Which free games help at this age?

• Count and Tap practices counting objects one at a time.
• Shape Pop is for naming and finding shapes.
• Number Bonds practices splitting numbers into parts.

These are free in the browser, with no timer. Sit beside your child and talk about what they see as they play.

For the full topic lists, see Preschool math for ages 4 to 5 and Kindergarten math for ages 5 to 6. Free games by grade: preschool math games and kindergarten math games.