What kids learn in 2nd grade

Second grade math is about bigger numbers and more flexible thinking. Children add and subtract two-digit numbers with regrouping, learn three-digit place value, compare numbers to 1,000, and skip count by 5s, 10s and 100s. They meet even and odd numbers and arrays, the groundwork for multiplication, and apply math to coins, clocks to the nearest five minutes, measuring length and two-step word problems.

In reading, second graders decode vowel teams, compound words, prefixes and suffixes, and practice finding the main idea and answering who, what, where, when, why and how. Writing covers spelling patterns, adjectives, contractions, past tense and commas in lists. Science and life skills cover habitats, states of matter and plant life cycles.

2nd grade math

  • Adding within 100 — Add two-digit numbers, with regrouping.Free practice
  • Subtracting within 100 — Subtract two-digit numbers, with regrouping.
  • Hundreds, tens, ones — Understand three-digit place value.
  • Compare big numbers — Compare three-digit numbers.
  • Skip count to 1000 — Count by 5s, 10s and 100s.
  • Even or odd? — Tell even and odd numbers apart.
  • Arrays — Use rows and columns to add repeated groups.
  • Counting coins — Count pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters.
  • Time to 5 minutes — Read clocks to the nearest five minutes.
  • Adding to 1000 — Add three-digit numbers.
  • Two-step stories — Solve one- and two-step word problems within 100.
  • Measuring length — Compare and add lengths in inches and centimeters.

2nd grade reading

  • Sight words — Read second-grade sight words.
  • Vowel teams — Read ai, ea, oa, ee, oo words.
  • Compound words — Build and split compound words.
  • Prefixes & suffixes — Use un-, re-, -ful, -less to find meaning.
  • Read & answer — Who, what, where, when, why, how.
  • Main idea — Find the main idea of a paragraph.

2nd grade spelling & grammar

  • Spelling patterns — Spell words with long vowels, blends and endings.
  • Describing words — Find and use adjectives.
  • Contractions — can't, don't, it's and friends.
  • Yesterday words — Regular and irregular past tense.
  • Commas in lists — Use commas in a series and in letters.
  • Build a sentence — Order words into complete sentences.

2nd grade science & life skills

  • Habitats — Which animal lives where?
  • Solid, liquid, gas — States of matter around us.
  • Plant life cycle — Seed to flower and back again.

Looking for another grade? Kindergarten, 1st grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade, 5th grade.