Seven maths skills your child will learn in Year 2

Seven maths skills your child will learn in Year 2

In Year 2 maths, children begin to work with larger numbers and develop a stronger understanding of place value. Students also learn everyday skills like telling the time, working with money, and measuring. 

We parents can help our children succeed in year two maths by finding out more about what they’re going to learn. Over the year, your child will learn how to: 

1. Recognise and understand place value in a two digit number

In Year 2 children should be able to recognise which number is the 'tens' and which is the 'ones' in a two digit number. They will also be able to fluently compare and order numbers 1-100 and start to round numbers to the nearest 10. 

At home: Help your child by asking how many ones and tens are in two-digit numbers. Use 100 square grids to help reinforce tens and ones. 



2. Add and subtract 2 digit and 1 digit numbers

By now your child will be very confident with numbers to 20 and their bonds so they will start to do small calculations including addition, subtraction and missing numbers. They will also be able to recognise odd and even numbers. 

At home: Play simple card games and dominos. Snakes and ladders is a great game to reinforce two digit and one digit addition and subtraction. When out and about add up the numbers on license plates of cars or buses.

3. Know the 2, 5 and 10 times tables

In Year 1 children were familiar with counting forward by 2, 5 and 10 - this will help them when they are introduced to the times tables and ideally they should have quick recall. They will also learn the associated division facts for these times tables. 

At home: Help your child revise the times tables and associated facts. Write out multiplication and division questions and answers, cut them and jumble them up and then mix and match the correct answers. 

4. Telling time to the nearest five minutes.

In Year 1, students were introduced to telling time. Now in Year 2 they are able to extend their understanding to tell time to the nearest five minutes. Kids will also be able to tell the difference between AM and PM and understand clockwise and anti-clockwise.

At home: have your child practice telling time to the nearest five minutes - remind them to use AM and PM

5. Measurement

In Year 2 your little one will be able to use appropriate units to measure weights, length and capacity. They will also develop a better understanding of money and be able to give change and combine coins to make different amounts. 

At home: Give your child a ruler and ask them to measure three different objects in the house. Then have your child put the objects in order from shortest to longest and explain how much longer or shorter each object is than the other ones. 

6. Pictograms, tally charts and bar charts

Pictograms are introduced in Year 2 as a simple and engaging introduction to bar charts. Block graphs (bar charts) are the first step in data handling and your KS1 child will learn to draw them, read them and use them to record information.

At home: Challenge your child to take surveys at home and represent the data that is collected on a graph. 

7. Find simple fractions of shapes or quantities

Now that students have been introduced to fractions in Year 1 - they will be developed more in Year 2 by finding a third, a quarter and three quarters of a shape or amount.

At home: Discuss fractions when sharing or cutting up cakes and pizzas. 


Found this useful? Check out our year by year maths guides from Reception to Year 4.

About Komodo – Komodo is a fun and effective way to boost primary maths skills. Designed for 4 to 11-year-olds to use in the home, Komodo uses a little and often approach to learning maths (20 minutes, three to five times per week) that fits into the busy routine. Komodo users develop fluency and confidence in maths – without keeping them at the screen for long.

Find out more about Komodo and how it helps thousands of children each year do better at maths – you can even try Komodo for free. 

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