How can parents help their children with math at home?

Create a Positive Math Environment

• Encourage a Growth Mindset: Emphasize that math skills can improve with practice and effort. Praise your child's efforts and progress, not just their results.


• Be Positive About Math: Avoid expressing negative attitudes about math. Show enthusiasm and interest in learning and solving math problems.


• Provide a Quiet Study Space: Ensure your child has a quiet, well-lit area to complete math homework and study.

Engage in Everyday Math Activities

• Cooking and Baking: Involve your child in measuring ingredients, following recipes, and converting measurements.


• Shopping: Teach budgeting, calculating discounts, and comparing prices while shopping.


• Games and Puzzles: Play math-related games and puzzles like Sudoku, card games, or board games that require counting and strategy.

Use Online Resources and Educational Apps

• Educational Websites: Use websites like Khan Academy, Cool Math Games, and Math Playground for interactive math lessons and practice.


• Math Apps: Download educational apps that provide engaging math activities and practice problems.


• Video Tutorials: Watch math tutorial videos together to reinforce concepts and learn new ones.

Support Homework and Practice

• Homework Routine: Establish a regular homework routine and provide assistance as needed.


• Practice Sheets: Provide additional practice sheets or worksheets to reinforce skills learned in school.


• Review and Discuss: Review completed homework and discuss any mistakes or difficult concepts to ensure understanding.

Encourage Problem-Solving and Critical Thinking

• Ask Open-Ended Questions: Encourage your child to explain their reasoning and how they arrived at their answers.


• Real-World Problems: Present real-world problems that require math to solve, such as planning a trip or designing a garden.


• Explore Multiple Methods: Show your child different ways to solve a problem and let them choose the method that works best for them.

Communicate with Teachers

• Stay Informed: Keep in touch with your child's math teacher to stay informed about their progress and any areas needing improvement.


• Ask for Resources: Request additional resources or recommendations for practice materials from the teacher.


• Attend Conferences: Participate in parent-teacher conferences to discuss your child's math performance and strategies for support.

Promote a Love of Learning

• Explore Math in Nature: Look for patterns, shapes, and numbers in nature and everyday surroundings.


• Incorporate Technology: Use technology to explore math concepts, such as virtual manipulatives and math-related apps.


• Read Math Stories: Read books that incorporate math concepts and problem-solving to make math fun and relatable.