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This Mixed Add Subtract drill has 40 problems for Grade 2. Space Documentary theme. Answer key included.
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Max's spacecraft detector found 47 mysterious alien signals—he must solve equations to decode them before they disappear forever!
Standard: CCSS.MATH.2.OA.B.2
At age 7 and 8, your child is building the mental flexibility to switch between addition and subtraction within the same problem—a critical leap in mathematical thinking. In Grade 2, students encounter real situations where they need both operations: starting with 12 stickers, adding 5 more, then giving away 3. Mixed-add-subtract problems strengthen working memory, number sense, and the ability to track multiple steps, skills that transfer directly to word problems, money management, and even organizing their own toys or snacks. This practice prevents students from defaulting to just one operation and teaches them to read carefully and adjust their thinking mid-problem. When children solve mixed problems fluently, they're building confidence with all of arithmetic, not just isolated facts.
The most common error is students reversing the second operation or ignoring it entirely—for example, solving 8 + 5 − 2 by computing only 8 + 5 = 13 and stopping. Another frequent mistake is misreading subtraction signs as addition, especially when the subtraction comes second. Watch for students who write the intermediate answer but then lose track and give a final answer that doesn't connect to their work. You can spot this by asking them to point to which operation they did first and second, and checking whether their intermediate number appears in their final answer.
Play a simple two-step game at home using objects like blocks, coins, or snacks: 'Start with 9 blocks. Add 4 more. Now take away 5. How many do we have?' Let your child build or move the objects physically for the first step, say the new total out loud, then complete the second step. This tactile, verbal approach mirrors how problems appear on paper but gives them concrete feedback. Rotate who gives the problems so they practice reading mixed operations in natural speech.