In case you want to know, these are the typical Second Grade Standards:

  • Know and use place value to 3 digits.
  • Read, write and compare 3-digit numbers
  • Use place value to mentally add or subtract 1, 10 or 100 from any 3-digit number
  • Count and skip-count within 1000 by 2s, 5s, 10s, and 100s
  • Learn about odd and even numbers and find odd and even numbers to 20
  • Fluently add or subtract within 20 using mental strategies
  • Use addition and subtraction facts within 100 to solve a range of one- and two-step word problems
  • Add up to four 2-digit numbers
  • Add and subtract within 1000
  • Add with different sets of objecs in equal groups
  • Represent arrays and equal groups as repeated addition and then multiplication equations
  • Begin to learn multiplication facts up to 5×5
  • Partition a rectangle into rows and columns of the same size squares
  • Partition a rectangle, square or circle into two, three or four equal shares
  • Describe the shares as halves, thirds, quarters or fourths
  • Recognize that equal shares of identical whole need not have the same shape
  • Select the appropriate equipment and units for measuring
  • Measure the lengths of objects twice using different units, such as inches and cm
  • Solve measuring problems involving adding and subtracting within 100
  • Tell and write the time to the nearest 5 minutes
  • Know the relationships involving time units: seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years
  • Solve word problems involving money and use the $ and ยข symbols appropriately
  • Draw a simple picture graph or bar graph to represent data with up to four categories
  • Identify and name a range of 2D and 3D shapes
  • Identify different types of angles and find them on 2D shapes
  • Recognize and draw shapes with specific attributes: number of angles, sides, faces, corners, etc…
  • Identify the faces of 3D shapes: squares, triangles, hexagons, rectangles

We Play Math Level 2 covers all of these standards, then goes WAY above and beyond. As a math educator, I’ve found that kids appreciate knowing the how and the why behind everything, so I try to give it to them even if it’s not typically taught until later. I firmly believe in using the correct terminology, even if the words are big, and I believe that first graders are absolutely capable of understanding. Government schools give them too little credit. I also include mathematical history and hands-on labs along with written practice and games because I feel they both greatly enrich the study of math.