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How to Help Your Child with MathCreate a homework routineFamiliar routines help work go smoothly at school and at home. With your child, decide on a time and place to do homework.Read Family Letters and Classroom newslettersThese pages describe what your child is learning so that you can help. They also suggest fun and easy math activities you can do at home. Consider keeping all of these pages in a special folder to refer to later.Communicate with the teacherYou are the link between your child and school, and it is your responsibilty to share your thoughts and concerns with the teacher. Call or write a note if your child has had trouble with homework, ask questions if you or your child do not understand something, and share good news when you see progress.Ask your child to explainEncourage your child to teach you the day's math lesson using the problems in the homework. Ask questions about the steps your child uses to solve a problem, such as Why did you put that number there? or What does that zero mean?Use questions to helpAlthough it's tempting to give children answers when they're confused, they learn more if you help them discover the answers for themselves. Try asking questions such as:
- Have you seen problems like this before? Is there an example somewhere that might help?
- What is the problem asking you to do or to find?
- What's one idea you have for finding an answer?
- Can you draw a picture of the problem? Can you use objects (like coinsm beans, etc.) to show the problem?
Be accepting of mistakesLet your child know that every mistake is an opportunity to learn. When your child makes a mistake, ask him/her to explain how they arrived at the answer, give praise for the correct steps or thinking, and gently point out where the error was made.Play math gamesSimple card games or store-bought games that involve mathematical thinking will help your child master skills. Ask your child's teacher or myself for ideas.Share real-life math situationsThink about ways you use math in your everyday life - at work, at the store, at the bank, in the kitchen, etc. Invite your child to observe or participate in these activities with you. Encourage your child to think mathematically about common activities, such as folding laundry or taking out the garbage. - How many socks in 12 pairs? About how many pounds does a bag of trash weigh?Give gifts that encourage mathematical explorationTake a look at the great gifts link on the left.