• How to Help Your Child with Mathematics
     
     
    1)  Create a homework routine
                      Familiar routines help work go smoothly at school and at home.  With your child, decide on a time and place to do homework, along with a few rules.  A typical routine might be – come home, have a snack, clear a space at the table, start math homework.
     
    2)  Read Family Letters and Home Links / Study Links
                      These 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.
     
    3)  Ask your child to explain
                      Encourage your child to teach you the day’s math lesson using the problems in the Home Links / Study Links.  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?
     
    4)  Use questions to help
                      Although it’s tempting to give children answers when they’re confused, they learn more if you help them discover the answers for themselves.  Try doing this with questions such as these:
    o   Have you seen problems like this before?  Is there an example anywhere that might help?
    o   What is the problem asking you to do or to find?
    o   What’s one idea you have for finding an answer?
    o   Can you draw a picture of the problem?  Can you use objects to show the problem?
    5)  Play math games
                      Games your child brings home from school or store-bought games that involve mathematical thinking will help your child master skills.  Attached is a list of commercial games with mathematical components.