You are here: Home → Light Blue Series → Grade 2

Math Mammoth Grade 2 complete curriculum

November 2011 - the PDFs in the download version of this product are now enabled for annotation!
This means that if you prefer, your student can fill them in on the computer, using the typewriter and drawing tools in Acrobat Reader version 9 or greater.

Math Mammoth Grade 2 complete curriculum consists of two student worktexts (A and B), a separate answer key for each, chapter tests and an end-of-year test, cumulative reviews, and an easy worksheet maker (Internet access required) to make extra practice worksheets when needed.

The two books for grade 2 focus on

• memorizing the basic addition and subtraction facts with single-digit numbers
• developing fluency with multidigit addition and subtraction
• place value with 3-digit numbers.

Also included is introduction to multiplication concept, measuring and geometry topics, clock reading, and money (US, Euro, or Canadian). Please see the table of contents for 2-A and 2-B for complete lesson lists.

Some main features of the Lightblue Series books are:

• focuses on understanding of mathematical concepts
• uses clear explanations, lots of visual exercises and pattern exercises
• mastery oriented: concentrates fairly long on a topic, with fairly few topics per grade
• emphasizes mental math and developing number sense
• very little teacher preparation needed

AN ADDED BONUS! Buying this in Kagi store (as a download), you will also get Soft-Pak programs completely FREE. The 7 programs in Soft-Pak (4 math, 1 language arts, 2 testing) offer both on-screen and printable activities in a low-graphic, high content format. Read more and see screenshots.

Introduction

The main topics during second grade, as in first grade, are the study of addition and subtraction and place value till 1000.

In second grade, children learn to add and subtract two and three-digit numbers mentally and in columns (under each other). They learn to carry to tens and to hundreds (also called regrouping), and how to borrow either from the tens or from the hundreds. The topics of borrowing two times and borrowing over zero tens are in this curriculum left for the third grade.

Mental math is very important, as it builds number sense and solidifies the understanding of place value. Children learn by heart the common addition and subtraction facts, and understand how to use them when adding two-digit numbers. They practice many kinds of mental math with three-digit numbers as well (in the B book).

Other topics studied are reading the clock to the five-minute intervals; measuring length, weight, and volume; shapes and a few simple geometry concepts; and money topics. These topics are important as well, since they are everyday applications of mathematics.

When you use these books as your only or main mathematics curriculum, they can be like a "framework", but you still have liberty in planning your child's studies. While addition, subtraction, and place value topics are best studied in the order they are presented, you can choose to study clock, coins, and geometry topics in a different order. This does not totally apply to the chapter on measuring, as it uses 3-digit numbers.

Changing the topic might even be advisable if your child is "stuck" on some concept. Sometimes the brain "chews the cud" in the background, and the concept they was stuck on can become clear after a break.

This curriculum aims to concentrate on a few major topics at a time and study them in depth. This is totally opposite to the continually spiraling step-by-step curricula, in which each lesson typically is about a different topic from the previous or next lesson, and includes a lot of review problems from past topics. This does not mean that your child wouldn't need occasional review. However, when each major topic is presented in its own chapter, this gives you more freedom to plan the course of study and choose the review times yourself.

For review, there is an html page included that you can use to make extra practice worksheets for computation or for number charts. You can also reprint already studied pages using the PDF file on the CD.

The chapter on money (chapter 5) is included in five currencies: US, Canadian, British, European, and Australian money. You will automatically get all five versions when you buy the Grade 2 Complete Curriculum or the 2-A part.

Manipulatives

Here is a list of manipulatives that are needed or recommended for grade 2:

1. An old-fashioned alarm clock or other analog clock where you can turn the minute hand and the hour hand will turn as it is supposed to (for 2-A).
2. A ruler that measures in inches (for 2-B).
3. A ruler that measures in centimeters (for 2-B).
4. A bathroom scales. It is best if you can have one that measures in pounds and kilograms, or one with pounds and another with kilograms; however I realize most people wouldn't normally buy two bathroom scales, so if you decide not to get both kinds, it means you will just need to skip some activities in the measuring chapter (for 2-B).
5. A quart jar and a pint jar (for 2-B).
6. A measuring cup that measures 1 cup (for 2-B).
7. A measuring cup that measures in milliliters (for 2-B).
8. Base ten blocks to illustrate place value with hundreds (optional). The 2-B worktext has pictures that are just like base ten blocks, and most kids can understand the concepts from the visual representation, without a physical manipulative; however for some kids the actual blocks can be beneficial (for 2-B).

9. A 100-bead abacus (optional)
   Please read more about the 100-bead abacus on the FAQ page.

Reviews / Testimonials

Hello Maria,
this is Max father of Leonardo a 7 years boy.
We are Italian but for working reason we live in Vietnam. My son goes to an International school and he is in second grade. On last November we noticed that Leo was behind compare to the other students so we starting a more strong program. My wife and I personally have spent a lot of time with him doing together his homework.
Our homework time is at least 1 or 1,5 hours a day.
AT that time I was looking for some extra math exercise to do with him since the school is really lacking of additional material. Also his homework are very simple and easy. Don't mention the fact that during the holidays they don't give to the students any homework to do (this is opposite to the Italian system where they give you tons of homework to do and the parents get crazy with it!).
Anyhow I was looking on internet for some math worksheet and after some researches I found your website. I was impressed with your work and clear exercises and the learning curve you have adopted was what I was looking.

Now we use regularly your material to review and repeat and make more exercises. I'm very happy with the improvements our son has done over the past months!

Thank you for you great job!

Max
April 2011

Hi again! I just wanted to let you know that we did go ahead and get Math Mammoth 2A and 2B. We just decided to stop our old curriculum and work through 2A at a normal pace. We are going on week three and now if you ask my daughter what her favorite subject is, she says "math"!!!! It has been such a turn around and we don't dread doing our math lessons. Plus I absolutely love all the web sites that are suggested for practice. We have been using them for a break in routine. Thank you again, I am thankful for this program and think it is so wonderful that you actually answer your emails!

Sincerely,
April McMillan
April 2011

I ordered Math Mammoth to compliment our current math program. I ordered the complete Math Mammoth 2 and my daughter LOVES it. It has taught her not just to memorize her facts but to understand how math works. On her own she figured out that 10X10=100. She said that it was 10 groups of 10 and by skip counting she figured out that it was 100. I enjoy using this program with her because it is so easy to teach, it's open and go. Thanks for creating such a simple yet very effective math curriculum!

Rachel
October 2010

My boys are delighted with doing the grade 2 math addition strategies and are talking about them and practicing them with a new appreciation.

It seems to me that my boys (an older one too) have all thought they can add small numbers easily, and so have ignored the strategies when they have been taught them. Later, they suffer for this... So going over them after a struggle with more advanced work is something they are now appreciating.

One thing I appreciate about your math is that each problem has a double purpose, it seems, and so no opportunity is wasted. Somehow each problem also makes the child think, and I find that this is important, to keep them from doing math with a "Ho Hum" attitude. Once they develop this attitude, they seem to do the math in a trance and learn little. I feel, even at this very early stage, that I am seeing them embrace the challenge and learn something. There is evidence of them thinking mathematically for the first time... something I had almost lost hope for.

I think that if other programs I have used have taught mental strategies, they have been in a way that a child can easily ignore the strategy. You are teaching the strategy with each set of problems, in such a way that they have to think strategy, rather than just see answers. You are very creative in this way, it is quite unique.

Gratefully,
Leisa Douglas
October 2010

By the way, still loving Math Mammoth. We're approaching the one year anniversary of using your curriculum. I pulled my daughter out of public school and she was unable to even answer 2+1 without getting perplexed, and with some mild dyslexia she was even getting confused with counting in certain instances where the numbers sounded similar (thirty vs. thirteen, for example). The emphasis on patterns and learning place value early, completing tens, etc, has advanced her by leaps and bounds. While she still asks for help, I am amazed at how she is able think through some of these relatively complex problems, and mentally add larger numbers - not without hesitation - but she can do it! Meanwhile my friends with children in public school are still doing single digit speed addition (memorization) only, but as far as I can tell speed proficiency is progressing just as well using MM with exposure to those "facts" in the context of more advanced problem solving.
Thanks!
Jennifer Johnson
October 2010

I enjoyed the worksheet so much that I went ahead and purchased the grade two downloadable light blue books. My son started math a bit later than his peers because it's not his strong subject. He was still adding on his fingers for nearly everything! After ONE lesson--just ONE lesson-- ("Some Review" lessons at the beginning of the 2A book) he has stopped counting on his fingers most of the time. He can answer me after thinking about it for a moment. He is looking forward to his math lesson each day, even though he's adjusting to the method and it takes longer than his other subjects. Thank you, thank you!

Meg Williams
April 2010

I just had to email you and say how pleased I am with Math Mammoth! My oldest son is nearly finished with the Grade 2 and my second son just started the Grade 1. I like it more all the time, the longer I use it.

Your explanations are clear and I love the way you teach. I like that there is no separate teacher's book; that everything is right in the text. I can see my older son really learning to think mathematically, especially when it comes to mental math, and even I am learning things by teaching it! My second son just turned six and Math Mammoth 1 is a perfect fit for him. He really was ready and needing to cement his addition and subtraction facts and that is exactly what he is focusing on with Math Mammoth 1.

I just bought the complete Light Blue series download through Homeschool Buyer's Coop. Thank you for the great deal! And I was very pleased to open it all up and see that you included the Canadian money chapters for each level. We are in Canada and that is one reason I chose to use Math Mammoth in the first place. Makes my life easier!

Thank you for an excellent program!

Erin Elias
April 2010

Hi Maria-
We bought the Light Blue Grade 2 last week and we're LOVING it! I am using it to remediate my daughter, who is 10. She had such a mental block against understanding math, until your program! Just in one week she has light bulbs coming on left and right and is finally getting some confidence! THANK you! I'm considering switching my younger son over to Math Mammoth too!

Leslie Papa
February 2010

From a homeschooling parent who has used Grade 2 Complete Worktext with a 9-year old:

Now, my dear son is very bright in many ways, but at the start of the new school year, to my horror, he appeared to have forgotten the math that he had already learned!! Not just the facts, but EVERYTHING!! It was a nightmare to say the least. So the first thing I thought to do was to check out your website to see if you had any suggestions to solve a problem like this. And thank goodness, you did. You suggested to go back to the basics, so to speak. So with a weary homeschool mom's heart, I ordered your Math Mammoth 2nd Grade Workbooks. Although my son is doing 4th grade in other subjects, he is again doing 2nd grade math. But that is okay, because he is now learning how to properly do the mental math!!! I must not have done a good job with that during his foundational learning of math. But now, with your workbooks, he is!! I have always struggled with getting my sons to "see" how math works. But thanks to you, Maria, it has been easier.

I like how your lessons are laid out, with problems to do in many different ways. Plus the word problems are great. They are different from other word problems in that they are a little more challenging than what we have grown to expect. Even I have trouble with some!! I would even like to see more word problems. But right now, we are happy with what we are using now. I certainly will order other books as the need comes. Thank you for your help, for the affordable workbooks, and all of the ways that you help us via your website.

Sincerely,
Homeschool Mom Not Shaking In Her Boots As Much, Shellie
November, 2008

From a homeschooling parent who has used Grade 2B Complete Worktext with a 9-year old third grader:

The cost was great and my son does less complaining because he understands!!

Kristy M.
10 November, 2008