Every child has their own pace — and that's fine. But it's natural to wonder: “is my child where they should be?”. This guide sums up what's commonly expected at each age, based on typical school curricula, so you can follow along calmly.
Pick an age and tick what your child already does on their own. It's not a test — it's a map of what to practise next.
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Age-by-age checklist
Tap to tick what they already know
5–6
- Counts to 20 or beyond
- Recognises and writes numbers to 20
- Compares amounts: more, fewer, same
- Adds and subtracts within 10 with objects or fingers
- Knows circle, square, triangle
- Continues simple patterns (🔴🔵🔴🔵…)
7
- Counts to 100 in 1s, 2s and 10s
- Understands tens and ones (34 = 3 tens + 4)
- Adds and subtracts within 20 mentally
- Measures in centimetres with a ruler
- Tells o'clock and half past
8
- Adds and subtracts to 1000 with carrying
- Sees multiplication as repeated addition
- Knows the 2, 5 and 10 times tables
- Works with money and change
- Understands halves and quarters
9
- Knows times tables up to 10
- Sees division as sharing equally
- Places simple fractions on a number line
- Finds the perimeter of shapes
- Solves two-step word problems
10
- Multiplies multi-digit numbers
- Divides with remainders
- Spots equivalent fractions (1/2 = 2/4)
- Uses decimals: tenths and hundredths
- Measures and compares angles
11–12
- Adds, subtracts and multiplies fractions
- Finds simple percentages (10%, 25%, 50%)
- Understands ratio and proportion
- Uses negative numbers
- Finds area and volume
- Solves simple equations (x + 7 = 15)
Approximate guide. Schools and countries vary — use it as a map, not a ruler.
Three signs that matter more than age
- Number sense. Does your child “feel” numbers? Know that 8 is close to 10, that 49 is nearly 50? That matters more than fast arithmetic.
- Explaining their thinking. If they can say how they worked it out, the knowledge is really theirs — not rote.
- Willingness to try. Kids who fear mistakes freeze. Praise effort and strategy, not “being smart”.
When to get help
If your child is more than a year behind in several skills, or math often ends in tears, talk to the school. Often it's just one foundation that slipped — and it can be rebuilt.
Common myths
Test what you know about how children learn math:
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Myth or fact?
4 questions for parents
- “Some people just aren't math people.”Myth · Fact — Answer: Myth. Math ability grows with practice and good strategies. Believing you can improve already helps kids keep going.
- Counting on fingers holds children back.Myth · Fact — Answer: Myth. Fingers are a natural bridge from concrete to abstract. Over time, children move to doing it in their heads.
- Making mistakes is part of learning math.Fact · Myth — Answer: Fact. Mistakes show exactly what's missing. Good practice uses them to choose the next exercise.
- An hour at the weekend beats 10 minutes a day.Myth · Fact — Answer: Myth. Short, frequent sessions make memories stick better than one long session now and then.