Like many parents, you may feel real trauma when your child
asks for help with math homework -- not simply because you
can't, for the life of you, remember what binomials are, much
less how to multiply them, but because you're forced to say
to your child for the first time ever, "I'm sorry, but I don't
know how to help you." You are no longer omniscient, the all-knowing
parent. How had this happened, and what should you do?
Well,
if you can no longer be the parent with all the answers, become
the parent who knows how to help your child find the answers.
Here are some tips to help your child find answers to math
questions.
- Helping
your child be successful in math is much like helping children
succeed in any other area. If your child is learning to
play the piano, you have a positive, encouraging attitude,
make it a regular part of family conversations, point out
its relationship to other topics, and let your child know
you have high expectations about practicing and doing her
best. Do the same with math.
- Math
teaching today places more emphasis on solving real-world
problems so children make the connection between math and
their lives. You can use these same strategies at home.
Look for opportunities for your child to help solve problems
that require math -- e.g., calculating the miles and estimating
gas costs for an upcoming family trip or determining how
many weeks of allowance your child needs to save to purchase
a new toy he wants.
- Regardless
of your math skills, you can help your child with math homework
by asking questions that encourage deeper thinking. "Can
you explain the problem to me in your own words?"..."How
about making a diagram or chart to see what information
you have and what's missing?"
- Search
the Web for parent resources, such as the National Council
for Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) website. It contains
a family section with suggestions, materials, and links.
- Together
with your child, make a list of potential resources for
homework help - classmates who do well in math and relatives
or family friends who have some math expertise.
- Every
few days, sit down with your child to go over her math homework
together. As she works through problems, have her explain
them to you. This seems to help children better understand
the material, and you will truly look forward to these shared
learning experiences.
Where
to Go for Extra Help
If your child could use some extra help in understanding math
concepts, check out AOL®
Step by Step Math, an online service that provides tutorials,
guides students through step-by-step solutions to problems,
and gives you progress reports on how your child is doing.
Using technology that replicates the school environment, a
verbal explanation is given as the handwritten, step-by-step
explanation appears on the whiteboard -- your child will consider
it "very cool."
And
you don't have to be a member of AOL® -- EVERYONE can
take advantage of AOL® Step by Step Math! There's absolutely
no commitment -- so take 30 days to try the product for yourself.
Click
here for your FREE Trial. Check out other services too,
such as AOL®
Writing Wizard, which helps students improve writing skills
and AOL®
Learning Games where learning and fun combine in over
100 educational activities.
Debra
Pryor has over 20 years of experience in the K-12 education
market. She is the author of Technology in the Classroom; Ahead
of the Trend Study: Youth and Education; The Ten Emerging Truths:
New Directions for Girls 11-17; and Empowering the Next Generation
Learner, and has been quoted on educational issues in USA Today,
New York Times, and Los Angeles Times. Deborah Meyers has over
30 years' experience in the areas of education, communication,
and public information. As writer and project manager for Partners
In Brainstorms, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in identifying
current and future dynamics in the education market, she has
contributed to numerous program materials for tweens and teens
ages 11-17 as well as research reports on the K-12 education
market.
