I Will Not Fear My Children’s Math Homework

AKA The New Math Rules Moms and Dads Need to Know.
Math is the universal language among societies. Excelling in math is fundamental in order for your children to find success in life. It is also one of those subjects that often strikes fear and feelings of inadequacy in the hearts of children and parents. Too often math homework stirs up unnecessary tears and frustration unheard of with other subjects.

As learning specialists and parents to a daughter, parents often approach us with concerns about how to raise their children’s math achievement. They want to support their children at home, but do not know how. They need guidance and advice. Many parents feel inadequate helping their children with math homework because they struggled with mathematics as students themselves.

We are here to say: You can do it. Your child can do it. Rest assured, with persistent effort and a few fundamentals, children can make significant gains in math and increase their confidence in the process. Whether it is improving test scores or merely avoiding the nightly meltdown at the kitchen table, here are four rules to live by. Use these tips to help you and your children enjoy and succeed with math at home.

Rule 1: Math is for everyone.
Repeat after me: everyone is capable of doing math. If your child feels frustrated, they are less available to learn. Redefine success for them. Focus on praising their effort and willingness to take on math challenges, rather than their ability to always come up with the correct answer. Help them to find joy in the process of solving a problem. You are removing the risk of failure, and thereby allowing them to be comfortable to try their best.

Rule 2: Math is everywhere.
Math is accessible at all times. Use everyday objects, such as a group of coins, to help children practice their skills, such as skip counting (being able to count by numbers such as 2’s, 5’s and 10’s.) Before you know it, they have learned a fundamental precursor for multiplication.

Rule 3: Math is memory.
Experts agree that providing a framework or organizational structure for numbers is the best way to help children remember them, a critical skill for mathematical competence. The best approaches and educational tools stress developing a mental number line that helps kids keep the sequencing of numbers intact. At the same time, they understand how numbers relate to each other and become flexible thinkers.

Rule 4: Math is Connections.
Ultimately, your child will need to see math as a collection of nested ideas (for instance how multiplication is repeated addition) to achieve mathematical competence. Let children know that they should build upon what they already know. Have dinner conversations about what the day’s topics remind them of.

Matthew Mandelbaum and Jamie Cohen are parents and learning specialists and are the creators of Jumping Joey’s Number Line. Jumping Joey’s Number Line is an innovative, child-centered, multi-sensory arithmetic learning system for Pre-K through Elementary. Jumping Joey’s Number Line fosters enjoyable, engaging, effective and efficient mathematical experiences, where students are motivated and build a strong math foundation with long-term understanding. Students feel successful and excited about learning opportunities, and confident in their emerging abilities.