Kindergarten maths curriculum

A complete guide to Kindergarten in Australia—ages, curriculum, and how to support your child’s maths learning at home.

Author
Robyn Oliver

Published
September 2025

Key Takeaways

In Australia, Kindergarten is usually referred to as the year before a child’s first year of formal schooling.

Each state in Australia has its own starting school age requirements!
The Kindergarten Curriculum Guidelines are a holistic approach to learning.

Table of contents

Getting ready for Kindergarten is a major milestone in your child’s life, and it often comes with questions:

At what age will my child start Kindergarten?
Does my child need to attend Kindergarten?
Why is my child starting at a different time than my friend’s child, who lives in a different state?

In Australia, Kindergarten is usually referred to as the year before a child’s first year of formal schooling, meaning your child will be three or four, depending on when they were born. Kindergarten is not a compulsory schooling requirement, and children are not required to be enrolled in schooling until the year they turn five or six. Most children will attend a four-year-old Kindergarten program at either a school or a long-day care service. This choice is down to the individual family, and most families opt for the option that works best for their schedule. Kindergarten is generally not a full-time program, and programs are usually two to three days a week.

Formal Schooling

The first year of formal schooling in Australia can feel a bit complicated. This guide is designed to help, as it explains the key differences, starting with the name of the first school year, which changes from state to state.

New South Wales: Kindergarten

For children who turn five on or before July 31st of that year.

Western Australia: Pre-Primary

For children who turn five before June 30th of that year.

South Australia: Reception

Children can start in term one if they turn five before May 1st or in term three if they turn five between May 1st and October 31st of that year.

Victoria: Foundation

For children who turn five before April 30th of that year.

Queensland: Prep

For children who turn five before June 30th of that year.

Northern Territory: Year 1

For children who turn six on or before June 30 of that year. The Northern Territory also offers a non-compulsory Transition year, the year before Year 1.

Tasmania: Prep

A child must be five years old by January 1st of the year they want to start.

What Maths Should Your Child Learn in Kindergarten?

Children who attend Kindergarten will be accessing a teacher-led program designed to deliver the Kindergarten Curriculum Guidelines, which covers the curriculum in a holistic approach, focusing on five main outcomes with learning intertwining:

Learning Outcomes in the Kindergarten Curriculum Guidelines

Outcome 1: Identity
Outcome 2: Connecting and Contributing
Outcome 3: Wellbeing
Outcome 4: Learning and Thinking
Outcome 5: Communication

Although children’s learning intertwines throughout the 5 learning outcomes, maths is mentioned most within Outcome 4.4: Learning and Thinking; Engaging in and extending numeracy in personally and culturally meaningful ways. The Kindergarten Maths Curriculum is then further divided into three sections:

Exploring and developing curiosity and knowledge of numbers and algebra.
Exploring and developing curiosity and knowledge of statistics and probability.

Notice the emphasis on the wording, children are expected to explore and develop curiosity, not to be experts! So don’t worry if your child hasn’t developed all of these skills yet!

Let’s take a closer look at these subsections:

Number and Algebra

During Kindergarten, your child will be:

Learning to count to and from 10.
Connecting number names with numerals and connecting numbers with groups of objects.
Learning to recognise the quantity of objects in a small group without needing to count them one by one, for example, counting the sides on a dice!
Exploring patterns and sequencing.
Problem-solving and categorising objects, for example, sorting by colour or size.
Looking at objects and exploring more, less, or equal, or not equal.
Using number lines to help solve maths problems.
Partitioning small numbers, using number blocks to break the number 10 into 10 ones.

Measurement and Geometry

During Kindergarten, your child will be:

Learning to measure weight in a variety of ways, for example, using balancing scales, digital scales, or by hand.
Learning about the concept of time, such as “Lunch time”, “Home time”.
Naming some simple 2D shapes and being able to recognise these within the environment, for example, “the whiteboard is a rectangle”.
Exploring positional language, for example, up, down, inside, and outside.

Statistics and Probability

During Kindergarten, your child will be:

Contributing to gathering simple data by offering yes or no answers, for example, Do you have a pet dog?
Exploring likely and unlikely scenarios.

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Kindergarten maths resources

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How can I help my child with kindergarten maths at home?

The Kindergarten Maths Curriculum focuses on a holistic approach, which means that maths shouldn’t be taught solely as a subject, but rather be woven into a child’s daily life. For most four-year-olds, learning is most effective when it’s hands-on! Children need to be allowed the opportunity to explore and problem solve whilst becoming mathematicians. Doodle Maths, a teacher-created maths app, offers children the chance to explore fun maths games independently as they earn stars for solving problems! Encouraging problem-solving and resilience. Using Doodle Maths for 10 minutes a day is proven to double a child’s rate of progression! A super easy way to weave maths into your daily lives! Other hands-on ways could include using sensory play, such as kinetic sand to explore measurement and capacity, or using dice in board games such as Snakes and Ladders!

Lesson credits

Robyn Oliver

Robyn is a teacher, educational content creator, and mum to three. After completing a Bachelor of Childhood Studies and a Postgraduate Certificate in Early Childhood Education, she moved to Perth, WA, and has spent her career working in a range of early childhood services and schools. These days, she mixes relief teaching in local schools with creating practical, engaging resources and mentoring early childhood services. Her work is driven by a genuine passion for supporting children to grow and learn, and helping educators feel confident and inspired in what they do.

Robyn Oliver

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Kindergarten maths curriculum

Formal Schooling