Max Rescues Lost Campers: Addition Regrouping Quest

About this Grade 2 Addition With Regrouping Drill

Addition with regrouping is a critical bridge in your child's math journey. At age 7-8, second graders are developing the mental flexibility to see numbers in new ways—breaking apart tens and ones, combining them, and understanding that 14 isn't just "fourteen," but also "1 ten and 4 ones." This skill moves children beyond counting on their fingers and toward true number sense. When your child solves problems like 17 + 15, they're learning to regroup (trading 10 ones for a ten) rather than counting each object. This foundation directly supports multi-digit multiplication and division later on, and it builds confidence with mental math in everyday situations—like when you're calculating supplies for a camping trip or combining allowance with birthday money.

What your student will practice

• Regroup 10 ones into 1 ten and record correctly in the ones place
• Add two-digit numbers by regrouping tens when the ones sum exceeds 9
• Recognize when regrouping is needed versus when it is not needed
• Communicate their regrouping strategy using place-value language

Common mistakes to watch for

The most common error is forgetting to write the regrouped ten in the tens column after adding the ones place. For example, when solving 18 + 14, a student might correctly see that 8 + 4 = 12 ones, write 2 in the ones place, but then forget to write the 1 above the tens column and simply add 1 + 1 = 2 in the tens instead of 3. Another frequent mistake is "crossing out" the regrouped ten but then still adding it twice. Watch for students who add correctly but cannot explain what happened to the extra ten.