Embedded Files
Modified and adapted from Math Unity LLC resources at www.FamilyMathNight.com
Support positive attitudes towards mathematics
- Let your child know that everyone can be successful in mathematics.
- Encourage your child to be persistent in working through problems; success will build confidence.
- Avoid negative comments about math such as, “I was never good at math.”
- Praise effort not intelligence. Use words like, “I like how hard you are trying.” Avoid saying things like, “You are smart.
Be an active participant in your child’s learning
- Read books to your child that involve math, and talk about the math as you read.
- Relate math to real-life experiences so your child can see how math is useful.
- Complete puzzles and play board and computer games that involve logical thinking, strategizing, and reasoning.
- Involve your child in daily activities that require the use of math. Examples: weighing objects at the grocery store, measuring ingredients for a recipe, estimating the amount of time it will take to complete a task.
- Problem-solve out loud so your child can learn how to think through the steps necessary to solve a problem. Role model mathematical thinking.
Create an appropriate learning environment
- Provide materials and manipulatives that promote and support mathematics. Examples: pencils, paper, rulers, tape measures, counters, protractors, calculator, measuring spoons/cups, analog clock, graph paper, thermometer.
- Create a “homework spot” in a well-lit area, complete with sharpened pencils and erasers, where your child can study and do homework.
Promote critical thinking and problem-solving skills
- As your child works on math assignments, ask higher order thinking questions. Examples: How can you prove that? What would happen if...? Does that make sense? Can you predict what would happen next? How does this relate to...?
- Encourage your child to solve problems a variety of ways. Examples: guess and check, draw a picture, make a list, solve a similar problem, look for a pattern, work backwards, use manipulatives, simulate the problem, make a list.
Show interest in what your child is doing and learning at school
- Make it a habit to ask your child to tell you about what they learned about math in school that day. Follow up with interesting questions to let them know what they are learning is important to you.
- Participate in parent-teacher conferences, Open House nights, Family Math Night and other educational and community-building events.
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