Everything you need to know about the Year 2 maths curriculum.
Author
Robyn Oliver
Published
September 2025
Key Takeaways
Table of contents
A Year 2 child is not only learning a new curriculum but also deepening their knowledge from the Year 1 curriculum. The early childhood years, Kindergarten – Year 2, are all about building strong foundations. A Year 2 child needs to be confident in the basic maths concepts before moving on to more complex mathematical concepts. Building a strong foundation in math is needed for children to fully understand the world and confidently navigate their own lives later on.
Not only does math offer children the chance to develop their practical life skills, but it also allows them to problem solve. Problem-solving strengthens a child’s resilience, which leads to a positive sense of self-worth! Research has shown that children with a positive sense of self-worth are more likely to have academic success, more meaningful relationships, and stronger mental health overall.
The Year 2 maths curriculum is made up of three strands: Number and Algebra, Measurement and Geometry, and Statistics and Probability. Each of these strands is further divided into multiple sub-strands.
Let’s break these strands down:
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In Year 2, children learn to count 1000 with efficiency, using skills such as place value to help! In Year 2 maths, students build on their knowledge of place value, exploring hundreds, tens, and ones.
Year 2 is the first year that fractions are introduced. Children will learn to recognise the numeral representation of a fraction and understand what the fraction represents, for example, “If you cut a cake into four equal pieces and you take one, you will have ¼”.
Children will be able to recognise coins and notes and use this information to solve word problems, “If Hattie has $5.00 and spends $2.00 at the ice cream shop, how many dollars will she have left?”.
Building on their Year 1 knowledge, children will explore addition and subtraction with two-digit numbers.
Year 2 children will be introduced to the multiplication symbol (×) and the division symbol (÷). Using these skills to divide and multiply one-digit numbers.
Children will explore sequences and patterns, answering questions such as “What pattern can you see and what number comes next? 2, 4, 6, 8, __, __”.
Children will explore multiplication facts for the number two, for example, doubling numbers and halving numbers.
Children will compare and sort shapes and objects based on their measurements. Forms of measurement will include length, area, volume, and capacity. Ways they might do this are by using blocks, counters, or popsticks to measure a physical object.
Children will be taught the concept of measuring time, including how to use a calendar to measure the length of time between dates. As well as using a calendar to measure time, students will be taught how to use an analog clock to read and measure time. It is not expected that children will be able to interpret a clock completely, but they will be expected to recognise and identify the hour, half-hour, and quarter-hour graduations. Now would be a great time to buy your child a watch!
Children will explore basic measurement movements, identifying and demonstrating a quarter turn, half turn, three-quarter turn, and full turn (one whole turn). A child may be asked to do this by moving physical objects or by moving their bodies.
Year 2 children will learn to identify and compare the characteristics of a shape object using the terms “opposite”, “parallel”, “curved”, and “straight”.
Year 2 children are also expected to be able to name some 2D and 3D shapes and identify the characteristics, such as the number of sides each shape has.
Children will learn to read visual representations (maps) of familiar spaces. A teacher may take the class on a treasure hunt, requiring them to follow the directions on the map!
Children in Year 2 are expected to be developing their skills in reading, understanding, and creating data graphs. Graphs might include:
Children in Year 2 will be able to judge scenarios as ‘likely’ or ‘unlikely’ and identify some events as ‘certain’ or ‘impossible’, for example, “This evening meatballs will fall from the sky” “Impossible!”.
Currently, in Australia, there are no formal assessments in the Year 2 maths curriculum. Individual schools and teachers will complete informal Year 2 numeracy assessments throughout the year. These assessments generally take place within the classroom through methods such as structured quizzes, one-to-one interviews, work samples, and classroom observations. You will receive feedback on your child’s progress through your school’s mid-year and end-of-year reports.
You may hear your child talk about NAPLAN tests in year 2. Don’t worry, these will be practice tests. The practice tests are not formal assessments but are designed to familiarise children with the questions and test conditions before the Year 3 NAPLAN test.
Your child is developing their numeracy skills every day without either of you even realising! Year 2 maths can be easily incorporated into your daily routines.
Encourage your child to be hands-on at home with cooking and baking, exploring measurement, weight, and capacity; you could even include fractions, looking at a whole pizza and half a pizza!
Does your child have a birthday coming up? The perfect gift for a Year 2 child! A watch!! Your child can practice telling the time every day and can learn to manage their own time! Another important life skill!
Turn Friday nights into family board game nights! Games such as Snakes and Ladders, Monopoly, UNO, or Snap can be a way to bond with your child while showing them that maths can be a lot of fun!
Take the fun and learning outside this weekend, draw a treasure map, and give your child interactions to strengthen their language: “turn left,” “take two steps forward,” “do a half turn,” “take two more steps forward!” Don’t forget to hide a prize at the end!
For rainy days, educational apps created by teachers are a wealth of knowledge, and the Doodle Maths app is sure to excite any future mathematician. The app fully aligns with the Year 2 Australian curriculum, and creates a personalised programme for each user based on their strengths and areas where they might need a little extra support. A tailored program will support a child’s growth mindset, unlike a standard program, which leads to discouragement when a child gets hard questions wrong! By personalising a program that suits each child, children can work independently through the interactive games, encouraging confidence, self-worth, and building a love of math! Using Doodle maths for 10 minutes each day is proven to double a child’s rate of progression, *based on answering 18 questions a day. Data from baseline assessment results of 60,382 children between February 2021 and February 2022*.
Remember, your child is working hard every day at school, so be mindful when choosing the right time to practice extra revision, focus on a healthy routine, which supports children to digest and practice using the information they are learning.
Lesson credits
Robyn Oliver
Robyn is a teacher, educational content creator, and mum to three. After completing a Bachelor of Childhood Studies and a Postgraduate Certificate in Early Childhood Education, she moved to Perth, WA, and has spent her career working in a range of early childhood services and schools. These days, she mixes relief teaching in local schools with creating practical, engaging resources and mentoring early childhood services. Her work is driven by a genuine passion for supporting children to grow and learn, and helping educators feel confident and inspired in what they do.
Parents, sign up for a DoodleMaths subscription and see your child become a maths wizard!
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