Program Core 5: Parent Engagement and Involvement

While much of a student’s math learning occurs in the classroom, their mindset and emotional reactions toward math are often shaped at home. Parents play a crucial role in either reinforcing or reshaping their child's attitudes about mathematics. This component of the CALM program focuses on educating and involving parents as partners in managing and reducing math anxiety. By building their awareness and equipping them with simple, practical strategies, parents can become active supporters of their children’s math journey. The goal is to create a collaborative relationship between school and family, which will help students navigate math-related stress in a positive, supportive environment.

The objectives of this component are to raise parental awareness of math anxiety and its impact on learning, equip parents with language, strategies, and routines that foster a supportive math environment at home, and promote a collaborative partnership between the school and family in helping students cope with math-related stress. In doing so, parents will become empowered to support their children's math journey both emotionally and practically.

Key activities for achieving these objectives begin with Parent Education Seminars. These interactive seminars, either in person or virtual, will cover the nature of math anxiety, how to identify its signs at home, common myths about math learning (such as the belief that math ability is fixed), and how to foster a positive, supportive environment for math learning. Relatable examples, student testimonials (when available), and research findings from the program will be used to make the content more accessible and actionable for parents.

The Parent Resource Kits are another important activity. These kits include CALM Parent Guides that provide parents with practical tools for supporting their children. The guides offer phrases to say and avoid during math homework, suggested daily routines that reduce math pressure, encouragement checklists, and tips for integrating math into everyday conversations (such as cooking or budgeting). These resources are designed to help parents create a math-friendly environment at home, where students feel supported rather than stressed.

Home Support Activities are also part of the program, with weekly or monthly tasks that are easy for parents to follow. Activities such as “Math Talk of the Week,” where parents ask their children about their feelings toward a new math topic, or “Math in Daily Life” reflections, which involve noticing math in household chores or shopping, are designed to integrate math into everyday life in a positive way. Journaling prompts like “Something I did well in math this week was…” will encourage students to reflect on their progress, building their self-confidence and resilience. Parents are also encouraged to praise effort rather than focusing solely on results, which helps to foster a growth mindset.

Finally, Family Connection Events provide opportunities for parents and children to engage in fun math-related activities together. Events like Family Math Days or open-house sessions allow parents to participate in math games or workshops, where they can witness positive math talk and stress-reducing strategies in action. These events help reinforce the ideas learned in seminars and resource kits while providing a social, supportive atmosphere for families to connect.

Through these strategies, the CALM program aims to empower parents to play a central role in reducing math anxiety and supporting their children’s success in mathematics. By strengthening the partnership between the school and home, the program fosters a holistic, supportive environment for students.