What should my child learn at 5?
At five, children may be meeting new routines, new friends and new ideas in books and number games. Home learning can give them a comfortable place to practise. You can start with something familiar and add one small challenge when they want it.
Where to start
KG 2 · ages 5–6
Reading short sentences, writing one of their own, number bonds, adding within 20, time, money and the science of everyday things.
What learning can look like
Many children are working on hearing sounds in words, reading words they have been taught and expressing an idea through drawing or writing. Reading a sentence involves both working out its words and understanding what it says. Keep talking about meaning, even when you help with the reading.
In maths, children may explore different ways to make a small total and describe shapes more precisely. Planning a task, changing an idea and taking turns also need opportunities. A child can enjoy a complicated story read aloud while still needing simple words for their own reading practice.
Three things to try this month
- Read and show the meaning. Choose a short sentence containing spellings your child knows. Read it together and act it out. Reading Sentences helps you connect words and meaning; help with unfamiliar words rather than asking for a guess.
- Make a total in two parts. Start with five large paper squares. Move some to each side and count both parts. Use Number Bonds to 10, staying with smaller totals whenever that is useful.
- Make a plan and change it. Draw an idea for a small paper construction, then try it together. Plan, Try and Improve gives you a way to discuss one change at a time.
Make space for help
The KG 2 path is a collection of opportunities, not a birthday deadline. Revisit earlier work and celebrate a useful strategy, such as checking with objects. If learning regularly worries you, speak with your child's teacher or doctor. Describe what happens and what support you have tried; these activities are not an assessment of development.