Math Curriculum

Draw Shapes by Attributes

Your child should be able to recognize, name, and draw shapes based on their features, like number of sides, corners, or faces. This matters because understanding shape attributes builds geometry skills and prepares your child for more advanced spatial reasoning and problem solving.

Partition Shapes into Fractions

Your child should be able to divide shapes into equal parts and use correct vocabulary like halves, thirds, and fourths. This matters because understanding equal shares lays the foundation for fractions and helps children connect shapes to real-world situations like sharing food.

Measure Lengths in Units

Your child should be able to choose the right measuring tool and use it to find the length of objects accurately. This matters because measuring is a key real-life math skill that connects directly to problem-solving in science, building, and everyday life.

Add/Subtract Lengths

Your child should be able to compare the lengths of two objects by measuring and then finding the difference. This matters because comparing measurements builds number sense and prepares children for subtraction with real-world meaning.

Tell Time to 5 Minutes

Your child should be able to read both analog and digital clocks and write times to the nearest five minutes, while also understanding the difference between a.m. and p.m. This matters because telling time is an essential life skill that helps children organize their day and connect math to real-world routines.

Solve Money Word Problems

Your child should be able to add up different coins and bills, make equal amounts in different ways, and solve money word problems. This matters because money math is a practical, everyday skill that builds number sense and prepares children for real-world problem solving.

Understand 3-Digit Numbers

Your child should be able to break apart three-digit numbers into hundreds, tens, and ones and explain what each digit represents. This matters because place value understanding is the foundation for addition, subtraction, and all future work with larger numbers.

Skip Count & Write Numbers

Your child should be able to read, write, and represent numbers up to 1,000 in different ways: with digits (325), with words (three hundred twenty-five), and in expanded form (300 + 20 + 5). This matters because being fluent in multiple representations of numbers helps children understand place value and prepares them for more complex operations.

Double-Digit Operations

Your child should be able to quickly and accurately add and subtract numbers within 100 using strategies such as breaking numbers apart (tens and ones), using doubles facts, or thinking about the relationship between addition and subtraction. This matters because fluency with these numbers builds the foundation for more complex multi-digit operations they will learn in later grades.

Add Four Numbers

Your child should be able to add several two-digit numbers together by grouping tens and ones, showing that they can organize numbers and use efficient strategies. This matters because it strengthens their ability to handle multi-step addition, an important skill for future multi-digit operations.

Tens & Hundreds Jumps

Your child should be able to quickly add or subtract 10 or 100 from numbers in the hundreds without writing it down, showing understanding of how place value works. This matters because mental math with place value builds confidence and speed for solving larger problems.

Add/Subtract Word Problems

Your child should be able to solve word problems up to 100 using addition and subtraction, even when the unknown number is at the start, middle, or end of the problem. This matters because solving word problems builds reasoning skills and shows how math applies to everyday life.

Two-Digit Operations

Your child should be able to quickly and accurately add and subtract numbers within 20, often by using mental strategies like making 10, using doubles, or thinking about the inverse relationship of addition and subtraction. This matters because automatic recall of these facts frees up their brain to focus on harder problem-solving in later grades.

Draw & Recognize Shapes

Your child should be able to sort shapes into categories based on shared attributes, like recognizing that squares and rectangles are all quadrilaterals. This matters because grouping shapes builds reasoning skills and helps children see patterns across geometry.

Equal Parts & Fractions

Your child should be able to divide shapes into equal parts and describe each part as a fraction of the whole. This matters because it connects geometry with fractions, showing that fractions represent equal parts of a whole in both number and space.

Time to Minute & Elapsed

Your child should be able to read clocks to the nearest minute, figure out how much time passes between events, and solve problems by adding or subtracting minutes. This matters because time management is a real-world skill that connects math to daily routines.

Liquid & Mass Measure

Your child should be able to measure or estimate liquid volume and mass using liters, grams, or kilograms, and then solve simple word problems with those measurements. This matters because it connects math to science and everyday life, like cooking, shopping, or comparing weights.

Scaled Graphs

Your child should be able to make picture and bar graphs where one symbol or bar can represent more than one item, and then use those graphs to answer comparison questions. This matters because reading and creating graphs builds data analysis skills they will use in math, science, and real life.

Area as Multiplication

Your child should understand that area measures the amount of space inside a shape and that it can be counted using unit squares. This matters because area is a key geometry skill that connects to multiplication, problem solving, and real-world applications like flooring or building.

Round to 10 or 100

Your child should be able to round numbers to the nearest ten or hundred by deciding which benchmark number they are closest to. This matters because rounding helps children estimate and check the reasonableness of answers in real-world problem solving.

Big Number Add & Subtract

Your child should be able to accurately and efficiently add and subtract numbers up to 1,000 by using place value strategies and written methods. This matters because these skills are the building blocks for multi-digit multiplication, division, and problem-solving in upper grades.

Fractions on a Number Line

Your child should be able to place fractions on a number line and understand that fractions represent equal parts of a whole. This matters because seeing fractions as numbers helps children compare, order, and use them in real-world situations.

Equivalence & Comparing

Your child should be able to recognize when two fractions are equal (like 2/4 = 1/2) and compare fractions by thinking about their size, not just the numbers on top and bottom. This matters because understanding fraction equivalence and comparison builds the foundation for adding, subtracting, and simplifying fractions later on.

Multiply as Equal Groups

Your child should be able to understand multiplication as repeated addition and as equal groups, not just memorize facts. This matters because a strong conceptual understanding of multiplication prepares them for division, fractions, and multi-step problem solving.

Interpret Quotients

Your child should be able to understand division as both sharing (splitting into equal groups) and grouping (finding how many groups of a certain size can be made). This matters because seeing division in both ways builds a strong foundation for understanding fractions and solving multi-step word problems.

Use Properties to Multiply

Your child should be able to use properties like commutative (order doesn’t matter), associative (grouping doesn’t change the result), and distributive (breaking apart numbers) to make multiplication and division easier. This matters because knowing these strategies builds flexibility and confidence in problem-solving.

Unknown-Factor Division

Your child should be able to see that division and multiplication are connected by thinking of division problems as “what factor is missing?” This matters because it deepens fact fluency and prepares your child to solve more complex equations with unknowns.

2-Step, All Operations

Your child should be able to solve word problems that require two steps, using addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division, and represent the problem with an equation that includes a letter for the unknown. This matters because multi-step problem solving develops logical thinking and prepares children for algebra.

Arithmetic Patterns

Your child should be able to find and describe number patterns in addition or multiplication tables and explain why they work using math rules. This matters because recognizing patterns strengthens number sense and helps children solve problems more efficiently.

Draw Lines & Angles

Your child should be able to draw and recognize basic geometric elements like points, lines, angles, and parallel/perpendicular lines in different shapes. This matters because these skills are the foundation for understanding geometry concepts they’ll use in upper grades, such as symmetry, area, and properties of polygons.

Classify 2D Shapes

Your child should be able to sort and classify shapes based on features like parallel or perpendicular lines and types of angles, and recognize right triangles as their own category. This matters because classifying shapes builds reasoning skills and helps children see structure and patterns in geometry.

Convert Measurements

Your child should be able to understand how measurement units relate to each other (like 1 meter = 100 centimeters or 1 hour = 60 minutes) and convert between them. This matters because unit conversions are essential for solving real-world problems in science, cooking, travel, and daily life.

Area & Perimeter Problems

Your child should be able to use formulas (Area = length × width, Perimeter = sum of all sides) to solve problems about rectangles. This matters because area and perimeter are practical math skills used in building, design, and everyday problem solving.

Ten Times Place Value

Your child should understand that each place value increases by a factor of ten (for example, the 5 in 5,000 is ten times the value of the 5 in 500). This matters because grasping the structure of our base-ten system is key to working with larger numbers, multiplication, and division.

Read & Write Big Numbers

Your child should be able to read, write, and compare numbers into the thousands using numerals (4,562), words (four thousand five hundred sixty-two), and expanded form (4,000 + 500 + 60 + 2). This matters because it strengthens number sense and prepares them to work confidently with larger numbers in operations and problem solving.

Round Whole Numbers

Your child should be able to round large numbers (like in the hundreds, thousands, or ten-thousands) to the nearest ten, hundred, or thousand. This matters because rounding helps children estimate, check the reasonableness of answers, and solve real-life problems more efficiently.

Multi-Digit Numbers

Your child should be able to quickly and accurately add and subtract large multi-digit numbers using the standard algorithm (the traditional “stacking” method). This matters because mastering this process prepares them for more advanced operations with larger numbers, fractions, and decimals.

Multiply Large Numbers

Your child should be able to multiply large numbers (up to four digits × one digit, or two-digit × two-digit) using area models, arrays, and standard algorithms. This matters because multi-digit multiplication is a core skill that connects directly to division, fractions, and algebra.

Divide Multi-Digit by One-Digit

Your child should be able to divide large numbers by a one-digit number, showing their steps and understanding how to interpret any remainder. This matters because long division is a key skill for multi-step problem solving, fractions, and algebra readiness.

Why Fractions Are Equal

Your child should be able to explain why two fractions are equivalent by using visual models (like fraction strips or drawings) and generate new equivalent fractions by multiplying the numerator and denominator by the same number. This matters because it deepens their understanding of fractions and prepares them for comparing, adding, and subtracting fractions with different denominators.

Compare Different Fractions

Your child should be able to compare fractions with unlike numerators and denominators by reasoning (using benchmarks like 1/2) or by finding equivalent fractions with common denominators. This matters because it builds number sense and prepares them to add, subtract, and order fractions confidently.

Add/Subtract Like Fractions

Your child should be able to break fractions apart (like 3/4 = 1/4 + 1/4 + 1/4), work with mixed numbers, and solve word problems using these skills. This matters because decomposing fractions helps children see fractions flexibly, which is essential for adding, subtracting, and understanding more advanced fraction operations later.

Multiply Fraction × Whole Number

Your child should be able to multiply a fraction by a whole number and explain the result using fraction models, number lines, or equations. This matters because it connects multiplication to fractions, laying the groundwork for multiplying fractions by fractions in later grades.

Multi-Step & Equations

Your child should be able to solve word problems that compare quantities by multiplication or division, such as “Sam has 3 times as many apples as Tom.” This matters because multiplicative comparison is a key step toward proportional reasoning and prepares children for ratios in later grades.

Division in Word Problems

Your child should be able to tackle multi-step word problems that require more than one operation, while also deciding what to do with remainders and checking if their answers make sense. This matters because solving complex word problems builds critical thinking and prepares them for real-world problem solving.

Graph on Coordinate Plane

Your child should be able to understand and use the coordinate plane, locating points using ordered pairs (x, y). This matters because graphing on a coordinate plane is a foundation for algebra, geometry, and data analysis.

Shape Hierarchies

Your child should recognize that when a shape belongs to a category (like quadrilaterals), it also shares attributes with its subcategories (like rectangles, squares, rhombuses). This matters because it helps children classify shapes logically and see how geometric properties are connected.

Convert Units in System

Your child should be able to convert measurements (like cm to m, or minutes to hours) and use these conversions to solve real problems. This matters because unit conversions are essential in science, cooking, travel, and everyday problem solving.

Line Plots with Fractions

Your child should be able to create line plots with fractional measurements and then use addition or subtraction of fractions to answer questions about the data. This matters because it combines data representation with fraction operations, strengthening problem-solving and real-world math connections.

Understand Volume Concepts

Your child should understand that volume measures how much space a 3D object takes up and that it can be counted using unit cubes. This matters because volume connects directly to real-world applications like packing, building, and measuring capacity.

Apply Volume Formulas

Your child should be able to calculate volume using multiplication (length × width × height) or by adding smaller volumes together, and apply this understanding to real-world problems. This matters because it connects geometry and arithmetic, showing how multiplication and addition work together to solve practical measurement problems.

Understand Decimals in Place Value

Your child should understand how place value works across digits, seeing that each place is 10 times greater than the one to its right and 1/10 of the one to its left. This matters because it builds number sense and prepares children for decimals and operations with larger numbers.

Compare & Round Decimals

Your child should be able to round decimals (like 3.276) to the nearest tenth, hundredth, or other place by looking at the digit to the right. This matters because rounding helps with estimation, mental math, and checking the reasonableness of answers in real-world contexts.

Multiply Multi-Digit Numbers

Your child should be able to multiply multi-digit numbers (like 347 × 26) accurately and efficiently using the traditional step-by-step method. This matters because mastering multi-digit multiplication prepares students for division, fractions, decimals, and algebra.

Divide 4-Digit by 2-Digit

Your child should be able to divide large whole numbers (like 1,764 ÷ 12) using place value strategies, area models, or equations, and explain their process. This matters because long division with larger numbers develops precision and prepares children for fractions, decimals, and algebra.

Decimals

Your child should be able to perform all four operations with decimals (like 4.56 + 3.27 or 6.4 ÷ 0.2) and explain their thinking using place value strategies. This matters because working confidently with decimals is essential for money, measurement, and advanced math in middle school.

Multiply Decimals

Your child should be able to multiply decimals by whole numbers and other decimals (like 3 × 0.4 or 1.2 × 0.5) and explain their reasoning using place value or visual models. This matters because multiplying decimals is a real-world skill used in money, measurement, and problem solving.

Divide Decimals

Your child should be able to divide decimals by whole numbers (like 4.2 ÷ 6) and make sense of the answer in real-world contexts. This matters because dividing decimals is a practical skill used in money, measurement, and problem solving.

Add/Subtract Unlike Fractions

Your child should be able to add and subtract fractions even when the denominators are different, by finding equivalent fractions with a common denominator. This matters because it builds a foundation for working with all operations on fractions and prepares them for ratios and proportional reasoning.

Multiply Fraction × Fraction

Your child should be able to multiply a whole number by a fraction (like 3 × 2/5) or two fractions (like 2/3 × 3/4) using models or area representations. This matters because multiplying fractions connects visual models with real-world applications such as scaling recipes or finding part of a part.

Fraction as Scaling

Your child should understand multiplication as scaling, meaning multiplying by a number greater than 1 makes a number larger, while multiplying by a number between 0 and 1 makes it smaller. This matters because it helps children make sense of fraction multiplication and prepares them for proportional reasoning.

Real-World Fraction Problems

Your child should be able to multiply fractions and mixed numbers in the context of real-life problems, showing their thinking with models, drawings, or equations. This matters because it connects fraction skills to practical uses like cooking, building, and measuring.

Divide Unit Fractions

Your child should be able to solve problems like 13÷4\tfrac{1}{3} \div 4 (dividing a unit fraction by a whole number) and 4÷134 \div \tfrac{1}{3} (dividing a whole number by a unit fraction), and explain the results with models. This matters because it deepens fraction understanding and prepares children for ratios and algebra.

Use Math Symbols

Your child should be able to read and solve expressions with grouping symbols (like 2+(3×4)) and understand how they affect the order of operations. This matters because it builds the foundation for algebra and helps students solve problems in the correct order.

Write Expressions

Your child should be able to write expressions to represent word problems (like “3 more than twice a number” → 2n+3) and explain what an expression means without solving it. This matters because interpreting and writing expressions develops algebraic thinking and prepares students for middle school math.

Whole-Number Exponents

Your child should be able to understand exponents (like 3²) as repeated multiplication and correctly evaluate them in expressions. This matters because exponents are a key part of algebra and higher-level math, showing up in science, technology, and real-world problem solving.

Expressions with Letters

Your child should be able to understand that letters (like x or n) can represent numbers, and use them in expressions like 2n + 5. This matters because variables are the foundation of algebra, helping students move from arithmetic to abstract thinking.

Equivalent Expressions

Your child should be able to use properties like the distributive property (3 × (2 + 4) = 3 × 2 + 3 × 4) or combining like terms to create expressions that are equal in value. This matters because recognizing and creating equivalent expressions builds algebra readiness and problem-solving flexibility.

Solve One-Variable Equations

Your child should be able to test numbers in equations and inequalities to see if they make the statement true (for example, checking if x = 4 works in 2x + 3 = 11). This matters because it introduces algebraic thinking and builds problem-solving skills for more complex equations.

Dependent & Independent Variables

Your child should be able to describe real-life situations where two quantities are related (like hours worked and money earned), represent them with equations, and show the relationship in tables or graphs. This matters because it builds a foundation for understanding functions and algebra in later grades.

Area & Volume Basics

Your child should be able to find the area of different polygons by breaking them into rectangles or triangles and then adding or subtracting areas. This matters because it builds problem-solving skills and connects geometry to real-life tasks like construction, art, and design.

Draw Polygons on a Graph

Your child should be able to plot points on the coordinate plane to create polygons and use coordinates to calculate side lengths when points line up horizontally or vertically. This matters because it connects graphing skills with geometry and prepares them for algebra and distance concepts.

Solve Area & Volume Problems

Your child should be able to create and use nets (unfolded 3D shapes) to visualize and calculate the surface area of prisms and pyramids. This matters because understanding nets connects geometry to real-world problem solving, like packaging, design, and construction.

Divide Fractions

Your child should be able to divide one fraction by another (like 3/4 ÷ 1/2​) and explain what the result means in a real situation. This matters because dividing fractions builds proportional reasoning skills and prepares children for algebra, science applications, and everyday problem solving.

Factors & Multiples

Your child should be able to find both the GCF and LCM of numbers and use them in problem solving. This matters because these skills connect division, multiplication, and factoring, which are essential for working with fractions and algebra.

Rational Numbers Basics

Your child should understand that positive and negative numbers describe opposites and be able to use them to model real-world situations. This matters because integers are a foundation for algebra, graphing, and reasoning in science and finance.

Ordering & Absolute Value

Your child should be able to compare positive and negative numbers, use inequality symbols, and understand absolute value as distance from zero. This matters because it builds number sense with rational numbers and prepares students for algebra and real-world problem solving.

Ratio Concepts

Your child should be able to describe a ratio (like 2:3) as a comparison between two quantities and explain it in words. This matters because ratios are the foundation for proportional reasoning, which is central to middle school math and real-world problem solving.

Real-World Ratio Problems

Your child should be able to use ratios and rates to solve everyday problems, like finding unit rates, comparing prices, or scaling recipes. This matters because proportional reasoning is one of the most important skills in middle school math and connects directly to algebra and real-life problem solving.

Understand Variability

Your child should understand the difference between a simple question (like “What is my shoe size?”) and a statistical question (like “What are the shoe sizes of students in my class?”) that expects a variety of answers. This matters because recognizing statistical questions is the foundation of data analysis and critical thinking.

Summarize Distributions

Your child should be able to describe data sets by finding measures like mean, median, mode, and range, and explain what those numbers mean in the context of the problem. This matters because summarizing data helps make sense of information and supports decision-making in real life.

Generate Equivalent Expressions

Your child should be able to simplify and manipulate linear expressions, including those with fractions and negatives, by using properties like distributive, associative, and commutative. This matters because fluency with expressions is essential for solving equations and preparing for algebra.

Rewrite Expressions for Insight

Your child should be able to rewrite algebraic expressions in different ways (like 2(5 + x) = 10 + 2x) and explain what each form means in the context of a problem. This matters because it builds flexibility in problem solving and helps them see the connections between numbers, operations, and real-world situations.

Real-Life Math Problems

Your child should be able to solve multi-step problems that involve adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing with whole numbers, fractions, decimals, and negatives, while also checking if their answers make sense. This matters because it builds problem-solving confidence and connects math to everyday decision-making.

Variables in Real-World Problems

Your child should be able to write and solve equations and inequalities from real-life situations, then explain what the solution means in that context. This matters because algebra is about modeling real problems, and these skills prepare students for advanced problem solving.

Draw & Describe Figures

Your child should be able to construct geometric shapes, especially triangles, using given side lengths or angles, and determine whether those conditions make one triangle, more than one, or none. This matters because it strengthens reasoning and visualization skills, which are key for geometry and problem solving.

Solve with Angle Facts

Your child should be able to recognize relationships between angles (like supplementary = 180°, complementary = 90°) and use them to find unknown angles. This matters because angle relationships are essential for solving geometry problems and connect directly to algebra skills.

Solve Geometry Word Problems

Your child should be able to calculate area, volume, and surface area for both 2D and 3D shapes, and apply these skills to solve real-world problems. This matters because geometry connects directly to real-life contexts like packaging, construction, and design.

Rational Number Operations

Your child should be able to add and subtract positive and negative numbers (including fractions and decimals) and represent these operations on a number line. This matters because working fluently with rational numbers is essential for algebra and real-world problem solving.

Convert Fractions/Decimals/Percents

Your child should be able to multiply and divide positive and negative numbers, including fractions and decimals, and explain why the rules for signs make sense. This matters because fluency with rational number operations is critical for algebra and for solving real-world problems in science, finance, and measurement.

Unit Rates with Fractions

Your child should be able to calculate unit rates even when the ratios involve fractions (e.g., traveling 1/2 mile in 1/4 hour = 2 miles per hour). This matters because unit rates are key for comparing quantities, solving proportions, and applying math in science, finance, and everyday decision-making.

Proportional Relationships

Your child should be able to identify proportional relationships and represent them using tables, graphs, equations, and verbal descriptions. This matters because proportional reasoning is central to algebra, geometry, and real-world applications like scaling, speed, and unit pricing.

Random Sampling

Your child should understand that data from a small group (sample) can represent a larger group (population) if the sample is chosen fairly and randomly. This matters because it builds critical thinking about surveys, polls, and data in the real world.

Compare Two Groups

Your child should be able to compare two sets of data by looking at their centers (like mean or median) and spreads (like range or variability), and describe how much they overlap. This matters because comparing data sets helps students interpret information in science, sports, and everyday decision-making.

Probability & Models

Your child should understand that probability measures how likely something is to happen, with 0 meaning impossible, 1 meaning certain, and numbers in between showing varying levels of likelihood. This matters because probability is used in everyday decision-making, from weather forecasts to games and risk assessment.

Integer Exponent Properties

Your child should be able to simplify and rewrite expressions with exponents (like 2^4 = 2^7) using the rules for multiplying, dividing, and raising powers. This matters because understanding exponents builds the foundation for algebra, scientific notation, and higher-level math in high school.

Radicals & Exponents

Your child should be able to solve equations like x² = 25 or x³ = 64 using square roots and cube roots, and recognize that some roots (like √2) are not whole numbers. This matters because roots are a key part of algebra, geometry, and later work with the Pythagorean theorem and irrational numbers.

Scientific Notation Math

Your child should be able to add, subtract, multiply, and divide numbers written in scientific notation, and understand when it is useful to use scientific notation for very large or very small numbers. This matters because scientific notation is widely used in science, engineering, and technology.

Proportions & Lines

Your child should be able to graph proportional relationships (like distance vs. time), identify the unit rate as the slope, and compare representations across tables, graphs, and equations. This matters because slope and proportional reasoning are foundational for algebra, geometry, and real-world problem solving.

Solve Linear Equations

Your child should be able to solve systems of equations (like y = 2x + 1 and y = x + 5) by graphing, substitution, or elimination, and interpret the solution as the point where the two lines intersect. This matters because solving systems models real-world situations where two conditions must be true at the same time.