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Mental maths practice for kids: what to practise at each age

Mental maths is the arithmetic a child does without paper or fingers. It is built in layers, and each layer is a different thing to practise.

Reading time: 5 min · Updated September 2026

The layers, roughly by age

Age 5–6 (Year 1 / CP). Number bonds to 10 and 20, counting on, doubles. Addition and subtraction within 20, on easy.
Age 7–8 (Year 2–3 / CE1–CE2). Bonds to 100, the 2, 5 and 10 tables, then 3 and 4. Subtraction as the reverse of addition.
Age 8–9 (Year 4 / CE2–CM1). All tables to 10 or 12, division as the reverse of multiplication, adding and subtracting two-digit numbers in the head.
Age 10–11 (Year 5–6 / CM1–CM2). Fluency: any fact in two seconds, mixed operations, and the speed that makes fractions, percentages and long multiplication possible.

Making it a habit rather than a fight

The research on practice is unglamorous: short, frequent, and slightly harder than comfortable. Five questions a day, every day, beats thirty on Saturday. A visible streak turns "do your maths" into "keep your streak", which most children prefer to defend on their own.

Level matters too. A child who gets everything right is not learning; one who gets everything wrong stops. Aim for rounds where four out of five are right and the fifth needs a second's thought — then move up.

Matching each stage to Kalko

The Practice screen is the quickest way to hit the right layer: choose an operation, choose a level, five questions.

Age 5–6. Practice → Easy → Addition, then Subtraction. Four-choice answers and instant feedback keep it gentle.
Age 7–8. Learn → Multiplication for the 2, 5, 10, 3 and 4 tables; Practice → Medium for addition and subtraction.
Age 8–9. Challenge levels for all four operations — typed answers build real recall. Set the learning range to 1–12 if the school teaches to 12.
Age 10–11. Practice → Hard, all four operations, plus the higher Challenge levels. Aim for perfect rounds; the profile counts them.
Every age. One round a day keeps the streak on the home screen alive. That is the whole routine.

The profile's accuracy percentage and activity calendar show, at a glance, whether the level is right and whether the habit is holding.

Download on the App Store

Tips

Ask "how did you know?" after a correct answer. Explaining the strategy ("9 + 6 is 10 + 5") is more valuable than the answer.
Use real numbers in the day: change at the shop, minutes until dinner, sharing a packet of sweets. The app trains the facts; life trains the use.
If accuracy drops below 80 %, go down a level for a week. Struggle is useful; failure is not.

Questions about mental maths

How much mental maths practice a day is enough?

Five minutes, daily, is a good target for primary-age children. The consistency matters far more than the length.

At what age should a child know their times tables?

In England, all tables to 12 by the end of Year 4 (age 9). In France, tables to 10 during CE2 (age 8–9). In the US, multiplication facts by the end of 3rd grade.

Is a maths app better than flash cards?

Both work if they are used daily. An app gives instant feedback, tracks accuracy and mixes questions automatically; cards need a parent's time. Many families use both.