Grade 2 Geometry & Measurement

Excellent for understanding math concepts but limited geometryThis book provides material, at approximately a grade 2 level, which goes beyond arithmetic skills and emphasizes conceptual understanding. The book covers the quantitative meaning of numbers, place value, many types of measurement including time, length, weight, and money, and of course some geometry.This book supplements the other Kumon mathematics books at the grade 2 level,  Grade 2 Addition (Kumon Math Workbooks) , Grade 2 Subtraction (Kumon Math Workbooks) , and  Word Problems Grade 2 (Kumon Math Workbooks) , which cover arithmetic problem solving skills. I first started using the predecessor to this book,  Geometry & Measurement Grade 1 (Kumon Math Workbooks) , toward the end of first grade when my daughter had started doing well in math due to completing the Kumon grade 1 addition and subtraction books, but had seemed to me still to need a better understanding of the quantitative meaning of place value. In addition to place value, the Kumon Geometry & Measurement books do a much better job of teaching the other skills covered in this book than has been done by our particular public school system. My second grade daughter loved the books so much that she rapidly progressed through this grade 2 book and is now starting on the grade 3 book.The contents of this book are closely aligned with nationally mandated educational guidelines, which emphasize not just problem solving ability, but understanding of mathematical material. Unlike many implementations of those guidelines, which have often been haphazard and in some cases counterproductive, this book covers those guidelines in a sensible, systematic way that facilitates the child’s actually learning the material.The book consists of 36 double pages of problems, with some front matter for the parents on the inside cover and with an answer key in the back. The 36 double pages are as follows:1-2 (4 pages) are a review of material from  Geometry & Measurement Grade 1 (Kumon Math Workbooks) .3-7 (10 pages) cover quantitative understanding of numbers up to 1000, including place value, ordering on a number line and ordering without a number line, and measurement of numbers of objects arranged in groups that are powers of 10. This work is important because multidigit arithmetic can become a symbol manipulation exercise, losing the connection to actual quantities; this work ensures that the quantities associated with multidigit numbers are understood.8-12 (10 pages) are on quantitative understanding of numbers up to 10,000, similar to the previous section on numbers up to 1000.13-16 (8 pages) are on telling time. The pages are progressive: first, there is a page on telling time on an analog clock face showing a time that is on the hour; then times that are on the half hour are introduced; then times with the minute hand moving around the clock face at five minute intervals are introduced, and finally arbitrary times on five minute intervals are covered. This gradual progression is important because it builds the basis for understanding times that are shortly before the hour; this helps minimize the confusion that otherwise happens when an hour hand looks like it’s on one hour but the actual time starts with the previous hour’s number, as in 6:55 when the hour hand looks like it’s on the 7. The last pair of pages in this section covers drawing analog clock hands to match a digital time.17-23 (14 pages) cover measurement of length. This starts with arrangement of objects on grids for proper length measurement, then covers the use of rulers, conversion between inches and feet and inches, introduces yards, covers when rulers should be used versus tape measures, and then introduces meters and centimeters. Obviously there is some limitation due to the workbook format, so it may be useful to give your child actual rulers or tape measures to play with when they are working on this section.24-25 (4 pages) cover reading a spring scale dial in pounds and also in kilograms.26-30 (10 pages) cover monetary values using U.S. coins and bills, starting with the value of collections of coins, then the conversion between coins and one dollar bills, then recognition of $5, $10, and $20 bills, then collections of coins with a dollar bill.31-34 (8 pages) are on triangles and quadrilaterals, including composition and decomposition of multiple identical isosceles right triangles in more complex shapes, distinguishing triangles and quadrilaterals from shapes that are not polygons, and division of arbitrary triangles and quadrilaterals into two smaller triangles or quadrilaterals.35-36 (4 pages) are a review of all sections of this book.This book provides a moderate amount of repetition, sufficient to learn the material for children who are have the necessary prerequisites. Prerequisites include familiarity with double digit integers, with basic addition and subtraction, with the appearance and values of U.S. coins, with the basic concept of weight, and with the basic concept of measurement. These prerequisites are covered in the review section at the beginning of the book; if your child has difficulty with any of the review questions, it would be better to have the child first complete the appropriate sections from the predecessor book  Geometry & Measurement Grade 1 (Kumon Math Workbooks)  so as to avoid unnecessary frustration, struggle, or delay.As with all Kumon workbooks, this workbook is intended to be used in a self paced way. Thus, while the material in the book aligns with generally recognized second grade standards, your child may be ready for the book earlier or later than at a typical second grade age. The successor to this book is  Geometry & Measurement, Grade 3 .As with all Kumon math workbooks, this book introduces new concepts gradually and provides for enough practice for the child actually to learn the concepts. This book is excellent as either as a stand alone supplement to school work in addition and subtraction, or in conjunction with the other Kumon grade 2 math workbooks as a complete math curriculum at the grade 2 level. For my second grade daughter, I now regard the Kumon workbooks as her primary source of instruction, and school work as supplementary. Whether you are using workbooks as a primary or supplemental source of instruction, however, the Kumon math workbooks are excellent, and this one did a great job of helping my daughter really learn all the concepts covered.