The PDF file (linked below the picture) provides a visual overview of how the concept of area develops in the grades 3 - 8 curriculum. This was originally published on the Mathematics Teaching Community website, which is no longer active.
AreaInTheCommonCore
.pdf
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The progression on area parallels a progression on number. Early on, young children learn to count to determine how many things there are. Later, children learn to use multiplication. Initially, children can multiply by skip counting with equal groups. But when larger numbers are involved, efficient strategies rely on decomposing and recombining numbers. We see a similar progression with area from counting to multiplying to decomposing and recombining.