The way we teach students needs to prepare them for the higher demands of college and careers today and in the future. Our school, and schools throughout the country, are working to improve teaching and learning to ensure that all children will graduate high school with the skills they need to be successful. In mathematics, this means that teachers are concentrating on teaching a more focused set of major math concepts and skills. This allows students time to master key math concepts and skills in a more organized way throughout the year and from one grade to the next. It also calls for teachers to use rich and challenging math content and to engage students in solving real-world problems in order to inspire greater interest in mathematics.

This shift to deeper understanding of the concepts means that today’s mathematics content and instruction may look different from the mathematics parents had in school. Research and experience demonstrate that high-quality mathematics instruction involves students making sense of the mathematics they are doing, working together to solve challenging problems, using technology when appropriate, and communicating about their thinking.

We encourage you to reach out to your child’s teacher—you are an important part of your child’s education. Ask to see a sample of your child’s work or bring a sample with you. Ask the teacher questions like:

• Is my child at the level where he/she should be at this point of the school year?

• Where is my child excelling?

• What do you think is giving my child the most trouble? How can I help my child improve in this area?

• What can I do to help my child with upcoming work?

As a parent, you are your child’s chief advocate and most essential teacher — at homework time and always. The first step to success in math is a positive attitude. For example, if your child is saying, "I can't do that!" We can work together to help them turn that into, "I can't do that YET!" Success comes with our positive attitudes, combined support, and deliberate practice! We sincerely hope you will enjoy your child's math journey and growth.

To assist you in your crucial role, we have organized resources that can help. For each grade level you will find:

• What Your Child Will Be Learning - a general overview of the year of instruction, with links to the "Parent Roadmap" and a "Parent's Guide to Student Success" from the Ohio Department of Education.

• Progression of Learning - these videos demonstrate the progressions students go through as they develop math understanding

• Home Connection - more specific information and resources about what students will be learning in each "Module" of daily instruction. These include Student Homework pages, Parent Tip sheets, a list of the daily lessons with video explanations, and more.

• Learning at Home - a section to support your experience for learning math at home.

To access these grade level resources, go to the top of this page and click on the desired grade.