Summer has a way of moving faster than expected, and math skills fade right along with it. Kids who breezed through fractions in April can feel rusty by August, simply because those skills sat unused for a couple of months.
Families in our home state of Tennessee can pinpoint exactly where that rust has settled by checking their child's progress against the Tennessee Academic Standards for Mathematics, the same benchmarks their school uses to plan each grade's lessons. Checking a handful of skills is usually enough to close any gaps before the first day back.
Hi, we are a team of math educators in East Memphis. We prepared a checklist for Tennessee parents based on our state standards, so you know exactly what to review and how to fit that refresher in before September arrives.
Every new math concept builds on skills learned the year before. Based on the Tennessee Academic Standards for Mathematics, here's a simple checklist to help you review the key concepts your child should feel comfortable with before entering their next grade.
Young learners starting grade 2 should already add and subtract fluently within 20, including knowing sums to 10 from memory without counting on fingers.
They should also understand that two-digit numbers are made of tens and ones and be able to compare numbers like 42 and 47.
If your rising second grader still counts out small facts one by one, a few weeks of fact-family practice will help them keep pace once the school year begins.
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Students entering grade 3 need to add and subtract fluently within 100 and know every addition and subtraction fact through 20 from memory.
They should also understand place value to 1,000 and feel comfortable working with equal groups of objects, an early building block for multiplication.
Kids lean on these skills constantly in third grade, since multiplication and division are introduced right away.
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If your child is heading into grade 4, they should be able to multiply and divide fluently within 100, well-versed in multiplication facts and their related division facts.
They should also be able to solve two-step word problems using all four operations and round whole numbers to the nearest ten or hundred.
Students who still hesitate on times tables tend to slow down quickly once multi-digit multiplication shows up in fourth grade.
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Children starting grade 5 should fluently add and subtract multi-digit whole numbers, multiply a multi-digit number by a one-digit number, and find whole-number quotients with one-digit divisors. They should also understand unit fractions and know how to compare and order fractions on a number line.
These skills form the base for the decimal and fraction work that dominates fifth-grade math.
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Students entering grade 6 should be able to add, subtract, multiply, and divide decimals to the hundredths place and add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators. Sixth grade leans on this fraction and decimal fluency the moment ratios and rates are introduced.
Budding 6th graders should also have a solid understanding of angle measurement.
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Students heading into grade 7 should be comfortable using ratio language, working with negative numbers on a number line, and graphing points in all four quadrants of the coordinate plane, all skills introduced in grade 6.
By this point, middle schoolers should also know how to divide fractions by fractions and find the volume of rectangular prisms. These are the building blocks for the proportional relationships and integer operations that define seventh-grade math.
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Students starting grade 8 should be able to apply proportional relationships to solve multi-step ratio and percent problems and add, subtract, multiply, and divide positive and negative rational numbers, including fractions and decimals.
Your student should also be able to write and solve one-step equations and find the area of triangles, quadrilaterals, and other polygons.
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Once you know where your child stands, closing the gap doesn't take much. A few small habits over a few weeks can make a real difference.
Short and consistent beats long and occasional. A few focused minutes, two or three times a week, do more for fluency than a single hour-long session on a Sunday.
Keep it low-key so math doesn’t feel like a chore. This can look like a handful of problems at the kitchen table, a quick round of mental math in the car, or a page from a workbook you already have on hand.
You don't need a worksheet to practice math. A grocery run at Kroger or Fresh Market on Poplar, a family outing to Shelby Farms Park, or an afternoon in the kitchen all work just as well.
Try any of the following:
Gardening or planting flowers: Estimate how many plants will fit in a bed using spacing recommendations, the same math skill behind the seasonal displays at Memphis Botanic Garden.
A weekend trip to Shelby Farms Park: Estimate the arrival time based on distance and speed, then compare it with the GPS.
Back-to-school shopping at Mendenhall Commons: Compare prices, calculate discounts, and figure out which deal saves the most money.
Ordering pizza or takeout after a Memphis Redbirds game: Give everyone a budget or ask your child to calculate the total after tax and tip.
Watching a Memphis Grizzlies game: Ask how many points a team needs to catch up, what score they need to win, or calculate player statistics.
These moments show your child that math is something they already use, not just something that happens at school.
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Pick the concept your child struggled with most last year and start there. Trying to review everything at once usually backfires. It's overwhelming, and it spreads attention too thin to make progress on any one thing.
Focus on understanding, not speed. A slower answer that makes sense to your child is worth more than a fast one they can't explain.
However you approach this, avoid turning it into extra homework. Summer should still feel like summer.
Celebrate effort and progress, not just correct answers. If your child tries a hard problem and gets it wrong, notice their process and effort instead of the result. This helps them understand that mistakes are just part of the learning process, as they build perseverance and confidence.
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You don't have to do this alone. A few local and state resources can round out the checklist above, especially if you want grade-level benchmarks or a free activity to fill an afternoon.
Memphis Public Libraries runs its Explore Memphis summer program through the end of August, with a reading challenge, free STEAM-based summer camps, and neighborhood events across branches. While the focus is reading and enrichment rather than math specifically, the structure and consistency of a summer routine carries over well.
Tennessee's academic standards, published by the Tennessee Department of Education, outline exactly what students are expected to know by the end of each grade. Reviewing the standards for your child's upcoming grade can help you spot which skills from last year are meant to already be solid.
Mathnasium of Memphis East: Whether your child needs to reinforce last year's concepts or get ready for new ones, Mathnasium of Memphis East provides personalized instruction designed to build understanding and confidence.
These resources work best as a complement to the checklist, not a substitute. They're useful for context and enrichment, but a focused check-in with your own child is still the fastest way to find out where they actually stand.
And if that check-in reveals areas where your child could use extra support, Mathnasium of Memphis East offers personalized instruction to help them build confidence and get back on track.
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At Mathnasium of Memphis East, we help students build strong math foundations through personalized instruction tailored to their individual learning needs.
Mathnasium is a math-only learning center dedicated to helping K–12 students learn and master math at every level.
Summer is one of the best windows to address the gaps that slowed your child down during the school year, without the pressure of keeping pace with a class at the same time.
We support students through this period every year, whether through regular sessions that continue into summer or dedicated summer programs at participating centers.
Whatever program your child chooses is built on our proprietary teaching approach, the Mathnasium Method™. Enrollment begins with a diagnostic assessment that pinpoints which skills are solid and which need attention.
From there, we build a personalized learning plan tailored to those needs. Our specially trained tutors work through it face-to-face in small groups, in a fun and confidence-building environment, adjusting in real time to how your child is thinking through each problem.
Our tutors are trained in both the technical and emotional sides of teaching. They know when a student needs encouragement, when they need more support, and when they're ready to be pushed a little further.
Fun is a major part of how we work. Sessions incorporate game-based activities, students earn rewards along the way, and every win, big or small, gets celebrated, helping confidence grow with each session.
The results speak for themselves:
94% of parents report improvement in their child's math skills and understanding
93% of parents report an improved attitude toward math after attending Mathnasium
90% of students saw improvement in their school grades
With over 1,100 learning centers across North America, there is likely a Mathnasium close to you.
Families across Memphis and nearby areas trust Mathnasium of Memphis East to help their children return to class in the fall, ready for what the new school year brings.
If your child would benefit more from a structured environment, our team is ready to help.
📅 Schedule a Free Assessment at Mathnasium of Memphis East
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