Dear parent or guardian: This is a summary of the key ideas your child is learning in mathematics.

You can use this summary as background as you support your child’s work. Some suggestions for
simple activities you can do with your child are also included.

Composing and Decomposing Two-Digit Numbers

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Composing Numbers
Generally, “to compose” means to create something by putting things together.
You compose numbers by putting together two or more quantities to create a larger
quantity. For example, you can put together 3 tens and 4 ones to create 34.

You can put together more than just tens and ones.

For example, if you put together 4 eights and 4 ones, you would get 36.

If you put together 8 and 11 and 20, you would get 39.

© 2021 Rubicon Publishing Inc. Grade 2 • Representing Whole Numbers 1

 Composing and Decomposing Two-Digit Numbers
3 (continued)

Decomposing Numbers
Generally, “to decompose” means to break something into parts. You decompose
numbers by breaking them up into smaller quantities.

For example, you can break 56 apart into 5 tens and 6 ones.

You can also break 56 apart into 8 groups of 7.

One group of 7
One group of 7
One group of 7
One group of 7
One group of 7

One group of 7
One group of 7
One group of 7

You could also break 56 apart into 11 groups of five and 1 more.

© 2021 Rubicon Publishing Inc. Grade 2 • Representing Whole Numbers 2

 Composing and Decomposing Two-Digit Numbers
3 (continued)

Helping Your Child With New Words

Ask your child to put together some smaller numbers to create bigger numbers.
As you talk about the task, use “put together” and “compose” interchangeably so
that your child will learn that they mean the same thing.

Similarly, ask your child to take apart a big number. As you talk about the task,
use “take apart” and “decompose” interchangeably so that your child will grasp that
they mean the same thing.

Helping Your Child

When items come in packs (e.g., of 2 or 3 or 4), have your child figure out how many
items are in several packs.

Alternatively, ask your child to figure out how many packs you need to open to have
a particular number of items.

Definitions
compose numbers: to put numbers together to create a larger number;
for example, putting 4 and 4 and 5 together makes 13

decompose numbers: to separate a number into parts; for example, 27 is 2 tens

and 7 ones. It is also 3 nines.

© 2021 Rubicon Publishing Inc. Grade 2 • Representing Whole Numbers 3