What Foundational Math Skills Every Child Needs and What You Can Notice Early

As your child progresses through school, you might assume the important milestones are content such as multiplication skills, fractions, or even algebra. However, in truth, much of their future success in math rests on groundwork laid early with skills that often fly under the radar. If you’re a parent wondering, “Am I helping enough?” or “What should I look for?” here are some of the key building blocks of math for children, and how you can support them.

What Do We Mean by “Foundational Math Skills?”

These are the early, often invisible, understandings and habits that make learning math possible (and ultimately, less frustrating). Think of them as the soil in which all other math grows. Some of these skills include:

• Number sense and place value (knowing what each digit in a number “means”)
• Counting fluently (forwards, backwards, and skip counting)
• Comparing, ordering, and estimating numerals
• Flexibility with numeric representations (standard form, expanded form, word form)
• Early work with decimals and fractional thinking
• Using mental math and strategies (vs. always relying on paper, fingers or other concrete objects)

Let’s break down how these play out, and what you as a parent might notice. Of note, if you see your child hesitate, confuse numbers, or misplace digits, that doesn’t mean something is “wrong.” It means there’s room to strengthen the foundation before moving on!

What to Watch For and Ask in the Early Years (Kindergarten – 3^rd Grade)

In those early grades, children are building their incredible number world. Here is what they should be mastering in those years:

• Counting fluency: Can they count forward and backward (say, up to 100)? Do they skip-count by 5s, 10s, or 2s? These patterns show they’re noticing structure, not just reciting.
• Understanding place value: When they see a number like 312, do they grasp that the “3” means three hundreds, the “1” means one ten, and the “2” means two ones? Do they understand why 602 is different from 62?
• Writing and reading numbers in various forms: Kids may practice writing “154” as “100 + 50 + 4”, or “one hundred fifty-four.” If they can switch among these, they’re deepening their understanding of the value the digits of a number hold.
• Comparing and ordering numbers: Can they tell you whether 481 is larger than 418 and explain why? When rounding to tens or hundreds, do they make reasonable estimates?

For Upper Elementary (Grades 4–5): Decimals, Flexibility & Mental Math

By these grades, your child’s foundation should be solid enough to take on more abstract territory, but the groundwork still matters.

• Decimals and place value: Can your child understand that 4.23 is “four and twenty-three hundredths”? Do they grasp how tenths, hundredths, and thousandths link to tens, ones, and so on?
• Flexible thinking about numbers: Can they see a number two ways? For example, 405 = 400 + 5, or 405 = 405 + 0. Can they break apart numbers (e.g. 37 as 30 + 7) to make adding or multiplying easier?
• Mental math strategies and estimation: Instead of always calculating exactly, do they round or estimate first? For instance, thinking “50 + 49 is about 50 + 50 = 100 minus 1 = 99” or using friendly numbers to simplify steps.

If your child slows down or becomes error-prone once decimals or multi-step thinking enters, it may be a sign their foundational skills need some reinforcement.

How You Can Support These Skills

• Play number games: Use everyday opportunities, card games, board games, dice games, which encourage quick addition, counting, or comparing numbers.
• Use hands-on tools: Base-10 blocks, place-value disks, snap cubes, or even straws bundled into tens can help make numbers “real.” If your child is still mastering the foundational skills, this is a great place to start!
• Talk about numbers out loud: Read and write prices, discuss quantities (e.g. “We have 14 apples. How many tens is that?”), or compare times and scores.
• Encourage explanations: Ask “why” and “how” rather than just “what.” E.g., “Why is 507 bigger than 470?” or “Show me in another way.”
• Go back before moving forward: If your child struggles with decimals or multi-digit subtraction, pause and revisit place value or number flexibility. It’s not “wasting time,” it’s simply making the future smoother.

When to Consider Extra Help

The complex math skills we often talk about (multiplication, fractions, algebra) rest on deeper, sometimes invisible supports. By paying attention to number sense, place value, flexible thinking, and estimation, you’re giving your child one of the most powerful gifts: a strong foundation on which all higher math can grow. However, if you see persistent confusion, for example, swapping digits, misunderstanding zero, or doing operations without understanding what each digit means, it might be worth seeking a professional opinion.

Ready to build strong foundations in learning?
At Child and Family Development, we offer a wide range of educational services designed to support learners of all ages and abilities. Whether your child needs help strengthening foundational math skills or you’re looking for personalized academic support, our experienced educators are here to help. Schedule a free consultation through our website to learn how we can support your child’s growth and success.