Maths in grade 2: numbers to 100, first times tables and how to practise

What grade 2 usually covers

Grade 2 usually extends the number range from 20 to 100. The exact order differs between states and schools, but these topics are typical:

• Place value: understanding a two-digit number as tens and ones, and moving on the number line in steps of ten.
• Adding and subtracting up to 100: first with whole tens (30 + 20), then with ones (34 + 5), then across the ten (38 + 5).
• First multiplication and division: equal groups, repeated addition and sharing. Most classes start with the 2, 5 and 10 times tables and then add the others.
• Doubles and halves within 100.
• Measures: centimetres and metres, euros and cents, clock time in half and quarter hours and minutes.
• Geometry and patterns: shapes, symmetry, continuing patterns.

What should feel secure by the end of the year

1. Tell how many tens and ones a number up to 100 has.
2. Add and subtract simple two-digit numbers in their head, including across a ten.
3. Know the 2, 5 and 10 times tables well and understand what multiplication means.
4. Read the time on an analogue clock, at least to the quarter hour.

Not every child reaches every point in the same month. Being able to explain the route matters as much as being fast.

How to practise at home

• Make tens visible. Bundles of ten sticks or ten coins make place value concrete.
• Use the ten as a stepping stone. For 38 + 5, take 2 to make 40, then add the remaining 3. The guide Adding across ten explains the idea step by step.
• Introduce multiplication as groups. Set out three plates with five grapes each and ask how many altogether. Only then write 3 × 5.
• Practise little and often. Ten minutes of mixed questions beat one long list. See Times tables tricks for how to build the tables from facts your child already knows.
• Use daily life. Prices, the clock and measuring in the kitchen are natural practice.

Typical stumbling blocks

• Reading two-digit numbers the wrong way round. In German the ones are spoken before the tens (“siebenundvierzig”), which is why 47 is often written as 74. Say the tens first while practising.
• Learning tables by rote without meaning. A child who only recites may freeze when asked out of order. Return to groups and pictures.
• Losing the ten in the head. If 38 + 5 is hard, go back to the number line and jump to 40 first.

Where Recheneule can help

Recheneule offers short rounds of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division for grades 1 to 4, with no ads and no account. It suits short revision between exercises. More on the Recheneule page. Before or after this guide: maths in grade 1 and maths in grade 3.