Elementary Math Practice: The Complete Guide (K–5)
What to practice in each elementary grade from kindergarten to 5th grade, how to practice at home, and signs a skill needs more attention.
By BAMS Academy Team 4 min read
In this article
Elementary school is where a child's relationship with math takes shape. The skills learned from kindergarten through 5th grade, like counting, place value, addition and subtraction, multiplication and fractions, are the base for everything that follows. The attitude toward math formed in these years tends to stick too.
This elementary math practice guide walks through what to practice in each grade, how to practice at home without it becoming a battle, and the warning signs that a skill needs more attention. It's part of our Complete K–12 Math Practice Guide.
Grade expectations vary. The skills below reflect what's common across US elementary standards. Your child's school may teach some topics a little earlier or later, so use their class materials as the final word.
Kindergarten: counting and early number sense
Kindergarten math is about understanding what numbers mean. Practice should focus on:
- Counting to 100 by ones and tens
- Counting a group of objects and knowing the last number tells "how many"
- Writing numbers and comparing groups (more, fewer, the same)
- Simple addition and subtraction within 10, often with objects or drawings
- Naming and describing basic shapes
At home: count stairs, snacks and toys; ask "how many more do we need?"; sort objects by shape or size. See what's covered in the kindergarten curriculum.
1st grade: addition, subtraction and place value
- Adding and subtracting within 20, moving from counting toward strategies like "make 10"
- Understanding tens and ones (place value)
- Comparing two-digit numbers
- Telling time to the hour and half hour, and measuring length
- Simple word problems
At home: practice "make 10" pairs (7 + 3, 6 + 4), and group objects into tens. Practice 1st grade math and 1st grade addition and subtraction.
2nd grade: bigger numbers and fluency
- Adding and subtracting within 100 fluently, and within 1,000 using place value
- Place value to hundreds
- Money, time to five minutes, and measurement
- Equal groups and arrays, the groundwork for multiplication
- One- and two-step word problems
At home: count coins, read clocks, and arrange objects in rows and columns to see equal groups. Practice 2nd grade math.
3rd grade: multiplication, division and fractions
3rd grade is one of the biggest jumps in elementary math.
- Understanding multiplication and division, and learning the facts within 100
- Unit fractions, fractions on a number line, and comparing simple fractions
- Area and perimeter
- Rounding and multi-step word problems
At home: practice multiplication facts a few minutes a day. Use pizza, paper strips or measuring cups to make fractions concrete. Practice 3rd grade math, multiplication and division and fractions.
4th grade: multi-digit math and fraction equivalence
- Multi-digit multiplication and long division with one-digit divisors
- Equivalent fractions, comparing fractions, and adding fractions with like denominators
- Decimals to hundredths and how they relate to fractions
- Angles, lines and measurement conversions
At home: ask your child to explain why 2/4 and 1/2 are equal, and to find decimals on price tags. Practice 4th grade math.
5th grade: fractions, decimals and getting ready for middle school
- Adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators
- Multiplying fractions, and dividing with unit fractions
- All four operations with decimals
- Volume of rectangular prisms
- The coordinate plane and numerical patterns
These skills lead straight into ratios and algebra in middle school, so gaps here are worth closing before 6th grade. Practice 5th grade math.
Elementary math skills at a glance
| Grade | Must-have skills by the end of the year |
|---|---|
| Kindergarten | Count to 100; count objects; add and subtract within 10 |
| 1st grade | Add and subtract within 20; tens and ones |
| 2nd grade | Add and subtract within 100 fluently; place value to hundreds |
| 3rd grade | Multiplication and division facts; unit fractions |
| 4th grade | Multi-digit multiplication; equivalent fractions; decimals to hundredths |
| 5th grade | Fractions with unlike denominators; decimal operations; volume |
How to practice elementary math at home
- Keep sessions short. About 10 minutes for younger children and 10–20 minutes for upper elementary works well on most days.
- Go concrete before abstract. Use objects, drawings and number lines before moving to written problems.
- Celebrate effort and strategies, not just right answers.
- Mix in review. A few problems from earlier topics keep them from fading.
- Talk about math in daily life: cooking, shopping, time and sharing.
Signs a skill needs more attention
- Still counting on fingers for simple facts by the end of 2nd grade
- Confusion about what each digit in a number means
- Guessing the operation in word problems instead of reasoning about it
- Treating fractions as two separate whole numbers (for example, thinking 1/3 is bigger than 1/2 because 3 is bigger than 2)
- The same mistake showing up again and again
If you see these, step back to the earlier skill and rebuild it before pushing forward. It's much faster than trying to patch the problem later.
Frequently asked questions
What math should a child know before starting kindergarten?
There's no formal requirement, but it helps if a child can count out loud, recognize some numbers, and count small groups of objects. Everyday counting games are plenty of preparation.
When should kids know their multiplication facts?
Most elementary standards expect children to know the multiplication facts within 100 by the end of 3rd grade, and to use them fluently in 4th and 5th grade.
Is it okay for my child to practice ahead of their grade?
Yes, as long as the current grade's skills are solid. If they aren't, strengthening them will help more than moving ahead.
