Matter & Materials

Solids, liquids, gases and what things are made of — 40 skills across 9 years. Every skill below shows what it builds on and how to tell your child has it.

Science40 skillsages 5–14

Grouped by the age children typically start each skill. Ages are typical, not deadlines — follow your child’s pace.

Around age 5

Describing Material Propertiesages 5–6AC ✓ Grouping Materialsages 5–6AC ✓ Naming Everyday Materialsages 5–6 Objects vs Materialsages 5–6AC ✓ States of Matter Vocabularyages 5–7AC ✓

Around age 6

Changing Shapes of Solidsages 6–7AC ✓ Choosing the Right Materialages 6–8AC ✓

Around age 7

Changes & Separation Vocabularyages 7–9AC ✓ Classifying Materialsages 7–8AC ✓ Drawing Particle Diagramsages 7–11AC ✓ Heating & Cooling Changesages 7–9AC ✓ Taking Apart & Rebuildingages 7–8AC ✓ Testing Materials for Usesages 7–10AC ✓

Around age 8

Evaporation & the Water Cycleages 8–9AC ✓ Solids, Liquids & Gasesages 8–9AC ✓

Around age 9

Advanced Material Propertiesages 9–11AC ✓ Dissolving & Solutionsages 9–10AC ✓ Irreversible Changesages 9–11AC ✓ Material Properties Vocabularyages 9–11AC ✓ Reversible Changesages 9–10AC ✓ Separating Mixturesages 9–10

Around age 10

Conservation of Massages 10–11 Matter Is Made of Particlesages 10–11

Around age 11

Atoms, Elements & Compoundsages 11–12 How Materials Change Stateages 11–12AC ✓ Metals vs Non-Metalsages 11–13 Physical vs Chemical Changesages 11–13AC ✓ Pure Substances & Mixturesages 11–13 Separating Mixturesages 11–13 The Particle Modelages 11–12AC ✓ The Periodic Tableages 11–12AC ✓

Around age 12

Acid Reactions & Saltsages 12–13 Acids, Alkalis & pHages 12–13 Earth's Atmosphere & CO2ages 12–14 Finite Resources & Recyclingages 12–14 Reactions That Release or Absorb Heatages 12–13 The Reactivity Seriesages 12–14 The Rock Cycleages 12–14 Types of Chemical Reactionages 12–13

Around age 13

Ceramics, Polymers & Compositesages 13–14

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