What to practice in each elementary grade
Children learn at different speeds. These are useful starting points for choosing practice, rather than a checklist every child must finish at the same time.
- Kindergarten: count objects, compare groups, recognize shapes, and join or separate small groups.
- 1st grade: add and subtract, make ten, and connect two-digit numbers to tens and ones.
- 2nd grade: build place-value understanding, work with addition and subtraction, and explore time and money.
- 3rd grade: connect multiplication and division to equal groups, and introduce fractions as numbers.
- 4th grade: practice multi-digit operations and connect equivalent fractions, decimals, and measurement.
- 5th grade: strengthen fraction and decimal operations, explore volume, and reason through multi-step problems.
Try it together: add 27 + 15
Break the numbers into tens and ones. Twenty-seven is 2 tens and 7 ones; fifteen is 1 ten and 5 ones. Together, that is 3 tens and 12 ones.
Trade 10 of the ones for another ten. Now there are 4 tens and 2 ones, so 27 + 15 = 42. Draw tens as long lines and ones as dots if your child wants to see the trade.
When a child gets stuck
Move back to a picture or real objects before repeating a rule. For subtraction, move counters away. For multiplication, arrange equal rows. For fractions, divide the same-sized whole into equal parts.
Ask the child to explain one step in their own words. An answer such as “I made another ten” gives you more information than a correct answer alone. Keep practice short enough that your child can finish by explaining something they understand.
Practice elementary math with Wolfy
The free browser demo lets you choose a grade and explore three short questions in Learn, Practice, or Play mode. It includes visual models, hints, worked explanations, read-aloud help, and a whiteboard.
The full Wolfy Tutor experience offers AI-guided math learning for Kindergarten through Grade 8. A parent can start a 14-day free trial without a card. Choose practice that matches your child’s current lesson, and use your teacher’s guidance when choosing what to work on next.