Supporting Your Child's Math Journey
As a parent, you play a crucial role in your child's math education. Here you'll find practical tips, strategies, and resources to help your child develop confidence and competence in mathematics.
Tips for Parents
Why It Matters:
Children's attitudes toward math are heavily influenced by parents' attitudes. When parents express anxiety or negativity about math, children often adopt similar beliefs. Creating a positive math environment at home helps children see math as accessible and interesting.
How to Support:
- Avoid saying "I was never good at math" or "Math is hard" in front of your child
- Praise effort and problem-solving strategies, not just correct answers
- Emphasize that mistakes are learning opportunities, not failures
- Share examples of how you use math in everyday life
- Celebrate mathematical thinking and curiosity
- Encourage a "not yet" mindset: "You haven't mastered this yet, but you will with practice"
When your child struggles: "This is challenging, but I can see you're working hard. Let's try a different strategy together."
Instead of: "Don't worry, I was never good at math either."
Why It Matters:
When children see math used in real contexts, they understand its relevance and practicality. Daily activities provide natural opportunities for practicing math skills without the pressure of formal homework.
Everyday Math Activities:
- Cooking: Measuring ingredients, doubling recipes, fractions
- Shopping: Comparing prices, calculating discounts, estimating totals
- Travel: Calculating distance, time, and speed; reading maps
- Sports: Keeping score, calculating averages, understanding statistics
- Money: Counting change, budgeting allowance, saving goals
- Time: Reading clocks, planning schedules, calculating duration
- Games: Board games, card games, puzzles involving strategy and counting
"If we need to arrive at 3:00 and it takes 45 minutes to get there, what time should we leave?"
"This item is 25% off. Can you help me figure out the sale price?"
"We need 2 cups of flour, but the recipe serves 4 and we're making it for 6. How much flour do we need?"
Why It Matters:
Deep mathematical understanding comes from knowing why strategies work, not just memorizing procedures. When children can explain their thinking, they develop stronger problem-solving skills and retain concepts longer.
Questions to Ask:
- "How did you figure that out?"
- "Can you explain your thinking to me?"
- "Is there another way you could solve this?"
- "Why does that strategy work?"
- "Can you show me using a picture or objects?"
- "Does your answer make sense? How do you know?"
- "What would happen if we changed this number?"
Child: "7 + 8 = 15"
Parent: "Great! How did you figure that out?"
Child: "I know 7 + 7 = 14, so 7 + 8 is one more, which is 15."
Parent: "That's excellent thinking! You used what you already knew to solve a new problem."
Why It Matters:
Consistent routines help children develop good study habits and reduce homework stress. A predictable environment makes it easier for children to focus and complete their work.
Creating an Effective Routine:
- Set a regular time and place for homework
- Ensure the workspace is quiet, well-lit, and free from distractions
- Have necessary supplies readily available (pencils, paper, calculator)
- Be available to help, but encourage independence
- Break long assignments into smaller, manageable chunks
- Allow short breaks for longer homework sessions
- Review completed work together
✓ Do: Ask guiding questions to help them think through problems
✓ Do: Work through a similar example problem together
✗ Don't: Give them the answers directly
✗ Don't: Do the work for them
Why It Matters:
Teachers and parents working together creates the strongest support system for children. Teachers can provide insights into your child's progress and suggest specific ways to help at home.
How to Collaborate:
- Attend parent-teacher conferences and ask specific questions about math progress
- Ask what topics are being covered and how you can support at home
- Inform teachers about any math anxiety or struggles you notice
- Ask for clarification if your child's homework uses methods different from what you learned
- Share successes and breakthroughs you notice at home
- Request additional resources or practice materials if needed
"What math concepts is my child working on now?"
"Are there specific areas where my child needs extra practice?"
"What strategies are you teaching that I can reinforce at home?"
"How can I best support my child's math learning?"
Why It Matters:
Quality educational technology can make math practice engaging and provide immediate feedback. However, it should supplement, not replace, hands-on learning and human interaction.
Best Practices:
- Choose high-quality, age-appropriate educational apps and websites
- Preview resources before your child uses them
- Set time limits for screen-based learning
- Balance digital practice with hands-on activities
- Use technology for practice and reinforcement, not initial learning
- Monitor progress and discuss what they're learning
✓ Adaptive learning that adjusts to your child's level
✓ Immediate, constructive feedback
✓ Progress tracking for parents
✓ Engaging but not distracting visuals and sounds
✓ Alignment with grade-level standards
Recommended Online Resources
These trusted websites offer high-quality math resources, practice materials, and learning tools for students K-12.
Official Math Standards & Information
- Common Core State Standards - Mathematics - Official standards and explanations
- Illustrative Mathematics - Free, high-quality math curriculum and resources
Free Practice & Learning Platforms
- Khan Academy - Free comprehensive math lessons and practice, K-12
- Math Playground - Interactive math games and problem-solving activities
- IXL Math - Comprehensive practice (free trial, then subscription)
- Prodigy Math - Game-based learning platform for grades 1-8
- Cool Math - Math games, puzzles, and lessons
Interactive Math Tools
- GeoGebra - Free interactive geometry, algebra, and graphing tools
- Desmos - Beautiful, free online graphing calculator and activities
- Math is Fun - Clear explanations with interactive examples
- Math Warehouse - Interactive math lessons and calculators
Video Lessons & Tutorials
- Khan Academy - Comprehensive video lessons for all math topics
- Numberphile - Engaging videos about numbers and math concepts
- Math Antics - Clear, animated math lesson videos
- Math with Mr. J - Elementary and middle school math tutorials
Parent Support & Information
- Understood.org - Support for learning differences including math
- Youcubed - Stanford's resources for parents on math mindsets
- Math at Home - Activities and tips for families with young children
Grade-Specific Support
Click on your child's grade level to see specific math skills and standards they're learning:
Remember
Your involvement and encouragement make a tremendous difference in your child's math success. You don't need to be a math expert—your positive attitude, patience, and willingness to explore math together are what matter most.
Every child learns at their own pace. Celebrate progress, encourage effort, and help your child see that with practice and perseverance, they can master any math concept.