Last updated 2026-09-08. Written by the TernQuest team. This checklist is for parents of kindergartners who want to know what "on track" looks like in math before the end of the year, and how to check each skill without turning the kitchen table into a test.
What math is a kindergartner expected to know by the end of the year?
Direct answer: By the end of kindergarten, California Common Core expects children to count to 100 by ones and tens, read and write numbers to 20, count out a group of objects up to 20, compare two groups (more, fewer, the same), add and subtract within 10 using objects or drawings, name common shapes, and describe measurable attributes like longer or heavier. Every one of these is a year-end expectation, not a September one, and your school's pacing may differ.
The checklist below groups these into six areas. For each, there is a plain-language description, a way to check it at home with things you already own, and a note on when to relax.
| Area | Year-end expectation | Quick home check |
|---|---|---|
| Counting | Count to 100 by ones and by tens | "Count as high as you can" while you fold laundry |
| Numbers 0–20 | Read, write and count out objects to 20 | Write 14 on paper; ask for that many blocks |
| Comparing | Say which group has more, fewer or the same | Two piles of crackers, "which has more?" |
| Add and subtract within 10 | Solve with objects, fingers or drawings | "You have 6 grapes. I give you 2. How many now?" |
| Shapes | Name circle, square, triangle, rectangle, hexagon, cube, sphere | Shape hunt around the house |
| Measurement | Compare length, height, weight; sort by attribute | "Which spoon is longer?" and sort socks by color |
Quotable version: "Kindergarten math is counting to 100, knowing numbers to 20, comparing groups, adding within 10 with objects, and naming shapes."
Can my kindergartner count to 100?
Direct answer: Counting to 100 by ones, and then by tens (10, 20, 30...), is the headline kindergarten counting goal. Children also learn to count on from a number other than 1 ("start at 7 and keep going"). The teens and the decade transitions are the usual stumbling points, so listen for those specifically.
How to check at home
Ask your child to count out loud while you do something else. You are listening for three things:
- The teens. "Eleven, twelve, thirteen" do not follow the pattern the twenties do, so children often skip or swap them.
- Decade transitions. After "twenty-nine" many children say "twenty-ten" or stop. That is a sign they have not yet noticed that the tens digit rolls over.
- Counting on. Say "start at 12" and see whether they can continue without going back to 1.
A hundred chart on the fridge does most of the teaching for you. If your child stalls at the same spot every time, our step-by-step routine for teaching counting to 100 walks through the decade transitions in a 10-minute daily habit.
When to relax
If it is before winter break and your child counts confidently to 30 or 40, they are fine. Counting to 100 is a spring skill in most classrooms.
Can my kindergartner read, write and count objects to 20?
Direct answer: Kindergartners are expected to recognize written numerals 0 to 20, write them (reversals are normal at this age), and match a numeral to a group of that many objects. The key skill underneath is one-to-one correspondence: touching each object exactly once while saying one number for it.
How to check at home
- Write a number between 11 and 20 on a sticky note and ask your child to hand you that many blocks or coins.
- Do it the other way: put out 13 objects and ask them to write the number.
- Watch for double-counting or skipping an object; that is one-to-one correspondence still settling.
When to relax
Backwards digits and numbers written in the wrong direction are normal in kindergarten. Focus on whether the count is right, not the handwriting.
Can my kindergartner compare two groups?
Direct answer: By year end, children should be able to look at two small groups of objects and say which has more, which has fewer, or whether they are equal, and do the same with two written numbers. Matching objects up one-to-one is the strategy teachers use; counting both groups comes next.
How to check at home
Put out two piles of anything: 6 raisins and 8 raisins. Ask which pile has more. Then ask how they know. A child who lines the raisins up in pairs and sees the leftovers has the idea. A child who counts both piles and compares the numbers has it too.
Can my kindergartner add and subtract within 10?
Direct answer: Kindergarten addition and subtraction is done with objects, fingers, drawings and acting out, not with memorized facts. A child should be able to solve "5 and 3 more" or "7 take away 2" when they can see or touch the things, and should be able to break numbers up to 10 into pairs (for example, 5 is 4 and 1, 3 and 2).
How to check at home
- Story problems at snack time. "You have 4 crackers. I give you 3 more. How many?" Let them count the real crackers.
- Taking apart. "Show me 6 blocks. Now split them into two groups. What are the two groups?" Do it several ways.
- Ten as a target. "I have 7 fingers up. How many more to make 10?"
That last one is the seed of the number bonds work your child will do in 1st grade. If they enjoy it, our guide to number bonds and the make-ten strategy shows where it leads.
When to relax
Do not push written equations or timed drills in kindergarten. If your child solves the problem correctly with fingers, that is the year-end standard being met.
Can my kindergartner name shapes and describe measurement?
Direct answer: Kindergartners learn to name two-dimensional shapes (circle, square, triangle, rectangle, hexagon) and three-dimensional ones (cube, cone, cylinder, sphere), to describe where things are (above, beside, next to), and to compare two objects by length, height or weight. They also sort objects into groups by an attribute and count how many are in each.
How to check at home
- Shape hunt. "Find something shaped like a circle. Now a rectangle." Cans, books and windows all count.
- Longer or shorter. Hand over two spoons and ask which is longer, then ask them to prove it by lining up the ends.
- Sorting. Dump out the sock drawer. "Sort these however you want, then tell me how you sorted them."
What should I do if my kindergartner is behind on this list?
Direct answer: Pick one area, practice it for a few minutes a day using real objects, and re-check in a month. Kindergarten math builds in a clear order (counting, then quantities, then comparing, then adding), so the earliest unchecked box is the one to work on first. Talk to the teacher before deciding anything is a problem; they see your child alongside a whole class.
A simple weekly plan
| Day | Focus | Activity (about 5 minutes) |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Counting | Count to the highest number they can, then 10 more with the chart |
| Tuesday | Numbers to 20 | Sticky-note numerals, hand me that many |
| Wednesday | Comparing | Two piles, which has more, prove it |
| Thursday | Add within 10 | Two snack-time story problems |
| Friday | Shapes and measuring | Shape hunt or "which is longer" |
Five minutes a day, five days a week, is 25 minutes a week. That is enough to move a kindergartner who is a little behind, and it is short enough that nobody cries.
Where a learning game fits, and where it does not
A short game can carry the counting and number-recognition practice on days when you are out of energy. TernQuest's kindergarten math skills follow this same California Common Core list, and one child can use it free; but if your child's gap is one-to-one correspondence or comparing physical groups, a screen is the wrong tool and a pile of blocks on the floor is the right one. Start with objects, add the game once the concept exists.
Kindergarten reading has its own year-end list; see the kindergarten reading skills checklist for the matching version. And if math practice at home is producing tears rather than progress, our post on math anxiety in kids covers what that looks like at this age and how to lower the stakes.
Related reading
- How to teach counting to 100 — the 10-minute daily routine for the biggest kindergarten counting goal.
- Kindergarten reading skills checklist (2026) — the reading half of the year-end picture.
- 1st grade math skills checklist (2026) — what comes next, so you can see where this leads.
Next step
If you want the counting and number practice to happen without you supervising every minute, TernQuest maps kindergarten math to these same standards and is free to start for one child. Add it after the blocks, not instead of them.