Math Help for 2nd Graders
Your child is ready to move on and start 2nd grade. As a first grader, they learned to add and subtract and count up to 120. They learned a few basics about place value, looked at simple shapes, and did some basic word problems. Sure, frustration did occasionally creep in, but, as they begin 2nd grade math, your children may be more eager to learn than they let on. They’ll need you - along with their teachers - to nurture that eagerness and help them as the math they learn will be a little more analytical and cover more areas in greater depth.
2nd Grade Math Curriculum - Common Core
The curriculum in 2nd grade math expands on that of 1st grade. For example, a 2nd grader will be counting up to 1000, adding and subtracting larger numbers, and measuring the length of objects using appropriate tools. However, the 2nd-grade math curriculum will also cover completely new areas: they’ll be introduced to partitioning shapes, understanding basic arrays, and solving slightly more complex word problems. As they begin learning these new math skills, they’re also learning to think critically. This process requires patience, practice, and support.
How to Help 2nd Graders with Math
While these new math skills might seem like quite the challenge for a 7-year-old, and even for their parents, there’s no need to worry. With all the resources out there, a little planning can go a long way.
- Work with them on their homework. Find out what they’ll be studying and where they might be struggling and try ideas to help. A positive attitude on your part helps more than you can imagine.
- Math software, whether math drills or online games, offer a wide variety of math practice.
- Math tutors can offer a personalized solution for your child, especially if your child is finding some areas of 2nd-grade math challenging.
Helping with 2nd Grade Math Homework
To boost your child’s confidence, encouragement and structure will go a long way in helping them practice their math at home.Keeping it fun and engaging with printables and hands-on objects or manipulatives will also help ensure students stay motivated.
It’s certainly true that finding fun math activities and games and planning a routine takes some time and effort in your already busy schedule. However, the payoff is engagement and more success in math for your child. Once you’ve set up the schedule, 15 minutes a day or 20 minutes a few times a week is all you really need.
Math Software for the 2nd Grade
With math software, all you need is your device and an internet connection to play and practice. With a math tutor, however, you need to schedule classes and decide whether to work with them in person or online. The benefit is, with an experienced tutor, you get a personalized service targeted to your child’s needs that can boost their ability and confidence with math.
Online tutoring is more flexible and convenient and can be more cost-effective as well. With tutors charging from around $25 to over $100 per hour, online services may offer cheaper rates.
Math Games for the 2nd Grade
As important as math software can be in helping your child, offline games are also key in providing hands-on, fun experiences that will help them learn to enjoy math. For example, with some printouts and simple objects for counting, you can create games that help them understand addition, subtraction, and even geometry. Prodigy Math has some great printables you can download, print, and use with your kids.
Whether practicing skip-counting, estimating quantities with objects, using play money to practice adding and subtracting, or using a card game to practice multiplication, there are lots of good ideas for gamifying math. And don’t forget that puzzles are a wonderfully fun way to learn logic and math.
Hiring a Math Tutor for Your 2nd Grader
With a device and an internet connection, you can play and practice your skills on any math software platform. With a math tutor, however, you need to schedule classes with them and decide on an in-person or online approach. The benefit is, with an experienced tutor like a former math teacher, you get a personalized service targeted to what your child needs that can boost their ability and confidence.
Online tutoring, on the other hand, is more flexible and convenient and can be cost-saving as well. With tutors charging from around $25 to over $100 per hour, online services may offer less expensive rates.
Prodigy Math
In surveys conducted in 2020, students who had a low enjoyment of math responded on average with a notable increase in enjoyment after using Prodigy Math’s online game. The game is designed to be engaging and fun to play so that the math questions flow from the challenges students face while playing Prodigy Math, and students who may have been frustrated with math often have a change of attitude after playing the game.
And as well, Prodigy’s monthly rates for memberships are less than the rates many tutors might charge per hour! That makes Prodigy quite affordable, not to mention there’s a free option. Prodigy Math is built to be comprehensive, fun to play, and it could help change your child’s view of math!
