This suggested maths order brings together teaching guidance and US and England school references. Use the ages to find your way, without rushing your child.
How should I use this teaching order?
Choose a starting action with your child's teacher, then use the table as a map of related ideas.
Published 31 October 2026; sources checked 31 October 2026. We put this 12-step sequence together from the sources below. IES recommendation 1 (2013) recommends teaching number and operations in a developmental progression. Neither that guide nor either curriculum gives this exact order.
The US column uses Common Core (2010). The England column uses the national curriculum (2013), DfE mathematics guidance (2020) and EYFS from September 2026. Each code links to the source. Use these to see what schools teach, then ask your child's teacher where to begin.
What are the 12 steps from counting to times tables?
Use this order to connect the ideas before trying bigger numbers, and keep returning to earlier steps.
Each "Practise" link covers the part of the step named beside it. The garden games cover only some of this sequence. Look for "not in the game yet" where there is no suitable set.
| Step | Ages, approximately | US code, Common Core 2010 | England reference | Practise |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Count real objects to 10, then 20; use the last number for the total | 4 to 5 | K.CC.B.4 and B.5 | EYFS Numerical Patterns, September 2026; Year 1 number and place value extends counting across 100 | Count to five; count to ten. Counting beyond 10: not in the game yet |
| 2. See up to 5 without counting; compare groups | 4 to 5 | K.CC.C.6 covers comparison; it is not a separate subitizing standard | EYFS Number and Numerical Patterns, September 2026 | not in the game yet |
| 3. Make and split numbers to 5, then 10, including doubles | 4 to 6 | K.OA.A.3 and A.4 | EYFS Number, September 2026: smaller bonds, some bonds to 10 and doubles | Make ten; doubles to ten. These join parts; splitting is not in the game yet |
| 4. Share fairly by dealing out one at a time | 4 to 6 | No direct sharing standard at this age in K.OA; formal division appears later | EYFS Numerical Patterns, September 2026: equal distribution | Share between two |
| 5. Add and take away with objects within 10; facts within 5 | 5 to 6 | K.OA.A.1, A.2 and A.5 | Year 1 addition and subtraction | Add to five; take away to five |
| 6. Count on; recall facts within 10 | 5 to 7 | 1.OA.C.5 and C.6 | DfE 1NF-1 (2020) | Add to ten. The scene counts all apples; counting on is not a separate game |
| 7. Count in 2s, 5s and 10s; explore odd and even by pairing | 5 to 7 | 2.OA.C.3; 2.NBT.A.2 | Year 1 number and place value; DfE 1NF-2 (2020) | Groups of two; groups of five. Only two to four groups; tens and odd/even tasks are not in the game yet |
| 8. Solve equal-group and sharing stories with objects before signs | 5 to 7 | Groundwork only; 2.OA.C.4 connects arrays to addition | Year 1 multiplication and division, with concrete objects and arrays | Make equal groups; share fairly |
| 9. Add and subtract within 20, using ten and doubles | 6 to 8 | 1.OA.C.6; 2.OA.B.2 | Year 2 addition and subtraction, fluent facts to 20 | not in the game yet |
| 10. Read a x b as a groups of b; compare b groups of a; use arrays | 6 to 8 | 2.OA.C.4; 3.OA.A.1 and B.5 | Year 2 multiplication; DfE 2MD-1 (2020) | Groups of three. Plates show groups; an array scene is not in the game yet |
| 11. Explore division as sharing and grouping, without remainders | 6 to 9 | 3.OA.A.2 | DfE 2MD-2 (2020): grouping in Year 2; 3MD-1 (2020): both structures in Year 3 | Share between three. Grouping is not in the game yet |
| 12. Learn tables: 10, 5, 2, then 4, 8, then 3, 6, 9, then 7, 11, 12 | 6 to 9 | 3.OA.C.7: one-digit products; no prescribed table order | Year 2: 2, 5, 10; Year 3: 3, 4, 8; Year 4: up to 12 x 12 and the Multiplication Tables Check | Complete tables: not in the game yet. Small groups of five is a limited introduction |
What math should a 5, 6 or 7 year old know?
Start with your child's school year and the curriculum their class follows.
In England, the usual age bands are Reception 4 to 5, Year 1 5 to 6, Year 2 6 to 7 and Year 3 7 to 8. In the US, kindergarten is usually 5 to 6, Grade 1 is 6 to 7, Grade 2 is 7 to 8 and Grade 3 is 8 to 9. Entry dates and class placements vary, so check your child's class against the linked school stages.
Compare two examples: K.OA.A.5 (2010) says, "Fluently add and subtract within 5." England's 1NF-1 (2020) says, "Develop fluency in addition and subtraction facts within 10." Both sit within a much wider curriculum. These are school expectations; playing the game does not promise those results.
This is a progress guide, not a test. If you are worried, talk to your child's teacher or doctor.
When do US and England schools introduce multiplication and division?
US and England schools introduce formal multiplication and division notation in different years, with practical grouping and sharing earlier.
England Year 1 includes practical multiplication and division problems. DfE 2MD-2 (2020) introduces the division sign through grouping in Year 2; 3MD-1 includes both sharing and grouping in Year 3. Common Core 3.OA.A.1 and A.2 formally interpret multiplication and division in Grade 3. Check which standards your child's US school follows.
The garden interprets 3x2 as three plates with two on each. It interprets 6/2 as six shared fairly onto two plates. Read the multiplication and division guides before using either as a school practice link.
Which parts can we practise here?
You can practise with small groups of objects here, within the limits below.
Counting is 1 to 10. Adding totals reach 10. Taking away starts at up to 10 and removes up to 5. Multiplication uses 2 to 4 plates with 2 to 5 on each. Division shares onto 2 to 4 plates with 1 to 5 on each. Use your own question list only within those limits, or return to the five-game hub.
Sources
- IES Teaching Math to Young Children (2013), recommendation 1.
- Common Core K.CC (2010) and K.OA (2010), early number foundations.
- Common Core 1.OA (2010), counting on and facts within 20.
- Common Core 2.OA (2010) and 2.NBT (2010), facts, arrays, pairing and skip counting.
- Common Core 3.OA (2010), multiplication and division.
- EYFS, September 2026, mathematics goals on page 15.
- England mathematics programmes of study (2013), Years 1 to 4; Multiplication Tables Check, 2026 information.
- DfE Year 1, Year 2 and Year 3 mathematics guidance (2020).
Questions parents ask
What order should I teach math skills?
Begin with counting objects, seeing small groups, and making and splitting amounts. Then connect adding, taking away, equal groups and division. We put this order together using teaching guidance and the curricula linked on this page. Keep returning to earlier actions, and choose a starting point with your child's teacher.
What math should a 6 year old know?
Start with the curriculum your child's class follows. Compare Common Core Grade 1 operations with England's Year 1 and Year 2 programmes, checking your child's actual school year. Use the table's ages to find your way around. Ask the teacher which part of the wider curriculum your child is working on now.
What order should children learn times tables?
Our suggested sequence is 10, 5, 2; then 4, 8; then 3, 6, 9; then 7, 11, 12. England's curriculum specifies tables by school year, while Common Core 3.OA.C.7 does not prescribe an order. This game offers small groups, not complete tables or the full sequence.
What maths level is expected in Reception?
EYFS, September 2026 includes understanding numbers to 10, recognising small quantities without counting, bonds to 5, some bonds to 10 and double facts. Numerical Patterns includes counting beyond 20 and equal distribution. These are end-of-EYFS goals; ask the teacher which idea to explore together now.