5 Parent Tips to Increase Students’ Math Success

And Overcome Math Challenges Mathematics Awareness Month is held each year in April and a perfect opportunity to encourage the love of math in your children. In helping children learn, one goal is to assist them in figuring out as much as they can do for themselves. Here are top five math tips that you as a parent can start using right now, to help your child become an independent math learner.

1. Strengthen Core Skills – Effort in Math matters because math skills build in time. Miss one component and you will continue to have difficulties with math. As a parent challenge your child to become better problem solvers.

2. Leverage Technology – Technology should support math instruction, and today’s ‘Net Gen’ students find technology-infused instruction especially engaging, helping them gain an understanding of the underlying reasoning and computations used in problem-solving.

3. Instill Math Confidence in Your Child. – Praise your children’s academic progress. Tell them that you are proud of their math efforts even when they struggle. When students are confident in their abilities, they enjoy learning.

4. Make Real-world Connections – There are many opportunities for parents to make math connections to everyday life – and help students to see the value of math. Think of tasks that you do every day that can be ‘teachable math moments.’

5. Encourage Your Child to Take Math – Early and Often – Many students don’t take math classes beyond their school’s minimum requirements. But math offers critical learning skills that are needed throughout life. Children should take algebra early in their educational careers if they are academically ready. Students who do not take courses covering algebraic concepts early, risk missing important opportunities for growth.

Algebra is Fundamental It is now clearly understood that algebra is the foundation for not only higher-level math and science skills, but it helps lay a solid foundation for the technological world we all now live in. Looking for resources to check your student’s algebra health? Sylvan Learning is offering a FREE, online Algebra Readiness Check-up to help determine if your child is ready for the math challenges that lie ahead. After taking the screener, you will receive a personalized Algebra Fitness Breakdown, which highlights your child’s strengths, as well as areas that require more training. You will also gain access to free online resources to help your child get in tip-top shape for algebra!
To take the screener visit - http://letsgolearn.com/fit4algebra/

All Children Can Succeed At Math

Are some students destined to struggle with mathematics because they’re inherently “not good at math?” According to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) and Sylvan Learning, the answer is no. A study from NCTM shows that everyone can succeed at math.

Parents can help their children master math and dispel the notion that math is difficult by “talking math” with children as they use it in everyday activities whether it be shopping, cooking or dining out. The math experts at Sylvan Learning believe that by combining traditional math drills and memorization of math facts and formulas with real-life examples and activities, math becomes more approachable and math discovery becomes fun. Using games and activities is a great way to encourage math discovery and enhance basic skills.

Sylvan Learning, the leading provider of tutoring to students of all ages and skill levels, offers tips and ideas to help your children have fun and become successful at solving math problems:

1. Play popular board games that require basic math skills. Chutes and Ladders® and RackO® develop number sense. “24” and Yahtzee® help computation speed and accuracy. Problem solving skills are developed through games like TriOminos® and Connect Four®.
2. Review previously learned math concepts before tackling new assignments. Starting with familiar concepts helps build your child’s retention and confidence.
3. Ask your child’s math teacher for a schedule of math topics. Take time to develop two projects or exercises per week that will reinforce what your child is learning in class.
4. Work with your child to solve math problems using multiple methods. This will help your child develop a fuller understanding of the computation concepts.
5. Provide pictorial examples of math concepts. Draw or collect pictures of animals, objects or people to show addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and fractions.
6. If your child receives an allowance, use it to formulate mathematical problems and teach him about saving. For older children, relate percentage problems to their allowance.
7. Allow your child to plan the next family trip. Help her compute miles, cost of gas and the expenses incurred for food and hotels.
8. Don’t let problems with math linger. Since math builds on previously learned concepts, it is essential to identify and address problems early so they don’t compound (to use a math term).
9. Assemble puzzles with your child. Puzzles help children learn spatial and visual organization. These are the basic lessons of geometry.
10. A deck of cards can be a valuable math tool. Card games begin to teach the lesson of probability and reinforce addition and subtraction memorization for children learning basic math facts.
11. Dice are helpful for younger children to practice number facts to six. If they are stumped, they can count the dots to find the sum.
12. Relate math to your child’s favorite sport. Keeping score is a math exercise! Ask him to calculate the number of points needed for his favorite team to win. Encourage him to create multiple point combinations to reach that score.
13. Play car games like “guess my number.” This will reinforce logic skills with children of all ages.
14. Dominoes are a great game for children of all ages. Smaller children can use them to recognize similar quantities while older children can explore the concepts of probability.
15. Encourage your child to do math aloud and to explain the series of steps used to solve the problem.
16. Follow your child’s progress through her math book, tests and homework.
17. Use Sylvan Learning’s online Math Activity Booklet to help sustain and renew children’s interests in math learning and discovery. Visit the “Parent Resources” area of www.SylvanLearning.com and download or print 30 days of math writing topics, trivia, questions and puzzles.