Ages Three and Four
When a child reaches three and four years of age, they increase their number knowledge to include 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. Some can count to 10, and some can go all the way to 20. They'll also be able to do basic addition and subtraction of small numbers.
Knowledge of shapes becomes more apparent in this age range, as children will be able to name and identify various shapes in various orientations.
Children will also get better with their measurement skills, realizing that getting one more cookie means they have more cookies while giving one away means they have less cookies. They'll also begin to measure objects with other objects. For example, they might measure a big teddy bear with sticky notes.
Ages Five and Six
At ages five and six, children increase their number knowledge even more up to 10. This also includes performing basic addition and subtraction problems up to 10. Some children can even solve basic word problems, such as: Peter has 3 rabbits and Susan has 5 rabbits. How many more rabbits does Susan have? It is also during this age that children begin to understand fractions.
During this age, geometry skills also improve, with some children being able to make shapes by combining shapes. An example is making a square by combining two triangles.
Their knowledge of patterns also increases. They are now able to create their own repeating patterns, and some will understand that one object can have the same value as several objects of another item. For example, they will realize that 1 nickel can be traded for 5 pennies because they have the same value.
Ages Seven and Eight
At ages seven and eight, children are now in school. Their grasp of numbers has now increased to the triple digits, and they can perform basic math along with word problems. They'll be able to count by skipping 5 at a time, or 10 at a time, all the way to 100. It is at this age too that children get better at estimating the number of objects in a jar, for example.
Children this age can use a measuring stick or other tool to measure. They'll be able to place the tool down in increments to measure a large distance.
During this age, too, children begin to recognize number patterns that skip by larger and larger numbers. So 3, 6, 9, 12 . . . skipping by 3s and then 6, 12, 18, 24 . . . skipping by 6s.
Lesson Summary
In this lesson, we looked at the mathematical development of children, aged one through eight. By mathematical development, we mean the process of growing in one's understanding of math.
Here is a table summarizing the information in this lesson:
| Age |
Math skills |
| 1 - 2 |
Knows the numbers 1 and 2 and the words more and less. |
| 3 - 4 |
Knows numbers up to 5. Can perform basic addition and subtraction using these numbers. Begins measuring things. Realizes that adding one is more and taking away one is less. |
| 5 - 6 |
Knows numbers up to 10. Can add and subtract using these numbers. Can solve basic word problems. Can make shapes from other shapes. Learns patterns and values of different items. |
| 7 - 8 |
Increases number knowledge to triple digits. Can solve word problems. Knows number patterns that skip by larger numbers. Begins using tools to measure. |
