Kindergarten Math: Common Core Standards
Your Teacher Information Pack for Kindergarten Math: every Common Core standard with its official code, notes on which states use them, and trusted links. Tick what you're teaching and send it straight into the lesson plan maker.
- Country
- United States
- Grade
- Kindergarten
- Ages
- about 5–6 (varies by state)
- Status
- Not federal law: adopted state by state
- Source
- Common Core State Standards – 2010
- Last checked
- 2026-10-20
Does my state use these standards?
Your state may use its own standards. Common Core is not federal law: each state decides. For math (compiled 2026-10-20, check your state's site before relying on it):
- Use their own standards, not Common Core (14): Alabama, Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia. Codes on this page won't match your state's paperwork.
- Adapted and renamed (24): Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming. Mostly similar, but check wording and codes.
- Common Core as written (13): California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington.
The standards
Standards are grouped into domains (big areas such as Operations & Algebraic Thinking) and clusters (the bold lines). Each code links to the official page. ★ marks a modeling standard and (+) additional mathematics for advanced courses.
Counting & Cardinality (CC) 7 standards
- Know number names and the count sequence.
- Count to tell the number of objects.
- K.CC.B.4 Understand the relationship between numbers and quantities; connect counting to cardinality.
- K.CC.B.4.a When counting objects, say the number names in the standard order, pairing each object with one and only one number name and each number name with one and only one object.
- K.CC.B.4.b Understand that the last number name said tells the number of objects counted. The number of objects is the same regardless of their arrangement or the order in which they were counted.
- K.CC.B.4.c Understand that each successive number name refers to a quantity that is one larger.
- K.CC.B.5 Count to answer "how many?" questions about as many as 20 things arranged in a line, a rectangular array, or a circle, or as many as 10 things in a scattered configuration; given a number from 1-20, count out that many objects.
- K.CC.B.4 Understand the relationship between numbers and quantities; connect counting to cardinality.
- Compare numbers.
- K.CC.C.6 Identify whether the number of objects in one group is greater than, less than, or equal to the number of objects in another group, e.g., by using matching and counting strategies.1Note: Include groups with up to ten objects.
- K.CC.C.7 Compare two numbers between 1 and 10 presented as written numerals.
Operations & Algebraic Thinking (OA) 5 standards
- Understand addition as putting together and adding to, and understand subtraction as taking apart and taking from.
- K.OA.A.1 Represent addition and subtraction with objects, fingers, mental images, drawings1, sounds (e.g., claps), acting out situations, verbal explanations, expressions, or equations.
- K.OA.A.2 Solve addition and subtraction word problems, and add and subtract within 10, e.g., by using objects or drawings to represent the problem.
- K.OA.A.3 Decompose numbers less than or equal to 10 into pairs in more than one way, e.g., by using objects or drawings, and record each decomposition by a drawing or equation (e.g., 5 = 2 + 3 and 5 = 4 + 1).
- K.OA.A.4 For any number from 1 to 9, find the number that makes 10 when added to the given number, e.g., by using objects or drawings, and record the answer with a drawing or equation.
- K.OA.A.5 Fluently add and subtract within 5.
Number & Operations in Base Ten (NBT) 1 standard
- Work with numbers 11-19 to gain foundations for place value.
- K.NBT.A.1 Compose and decompose numbers from 11 to 19 into ten ones and some further ones, e.g., by using objects or drawings, and record each composition or decomposition by a drawing or equation (such as 18 = 10 + 8); understand that these numbers are composed of ten ones and one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, or nine ones.
Measurement & Data (MD) 3 standards
- Describe and compare measurable attributes.
- K.MD.A.1 Describe measurable attributes of objects, such as length or weight. Describe several measurable attributes of a single object.
- K.MD.A.2 Directly compare two objects with a measurable attribute in common, to see which object has "more of"/"less of" the attribute, and describe the difference. For example, directly compare the heights of two children and describe one child as taller/shorter.
- Classify objects and count the number of objects in each category.
- K.MD.B.3 Classify objects into given categories; count the numbers of objects in each category and sort the categories by count.1
Geometry (G) 6 standards
- Identify and describe shapes.
- K.G.A.1 Describe objects in the environment using names of shapes, and describe the relative positions of these objects using terms such as above, below, beside, in front of, behind, and next to.
- K.G.A.2 Correctly name shapes regardless of their orientations or overall size.
- K.G.A.3 Identify shapes as two-dimensional (lying in a plane, "flat") or three-dimensional ("solid").
- Analyze, compare, create, and compose shapes.
- K.G.B.4 Analyze and compare two- and three-dimensional shapes, in different sizes and orientations, using informal language to describe their similarities, differences, parts (e.g., number of sides and vertices/"corners") and other attributes (e.g., having sides of equal length).
- K.G.B.5 Model shapes in the world by building shapes from components (e.g., sticks and clay balls) and drawing shapes.
- K.G.B.6 Compose simple shapes to form larger shapes. For example, "Can you join these two triangles with full sides touching to make a rectangle?"
Standards for Mathematical Practice apply to every grade and course
- MP1 Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
- MP2 Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
- MP3 Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
- MP4 Model with mathematics.
- MP5 Use appropriate tools strategically.
- MP6 Attend to precision.
- MP7 Look for and make use of structure.
- MP8 Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.
Tests and key dates
Each state sets its own tests and testing windows. Check your state education department (links on our state list) and your district calendar.
Official documents
Trusted free resources
- Khan Academy – Free practice, videos and teacher tools (US grades and courses).
Links only: we don't copy their content and we aren't connected to these organisations.
More packs
Related: High School Number and Quantity, High School Algebra, High School Functions, High School Geometry, High School Statistics and Probability, Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II.
© Copyright 2010. National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers. All rights reserved.
The Common Core State Standards are owned and developed by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), and are shown here under the Common Core State Standards Public License. Examples from the official site are not included. Classfern is not affiliated with or endorsed by NGA Center or CCSSO. Each standard links to its official page.
Frequently asked questions
Do all states use the Common Core math standards?
No. In our 2026-10-20 review of the 50 states and DC, 13 use the Common Core math standards as written, 24 use an adapted version under their own name, and 14 use their own standards. Check your state's education website.
What does a code like 3.OA.A.1 mean?
It is the official Common Core identifier: grade (3), domain (OA = Operations and Algebraic Thinking), cluster (A) and standard number (1). The full form is CCSS.Math.Content.3.OA.A.1.