How can I support my child’s math learning at home?

Math learning at home can best be supported by sharing a positive attitude towards mathematics with your child. Students who have a positive attitude towards math will develop self -confidence and are able to take risks.

When a child is working on a math problem, encourage him /her to think like a mathematician and to take a chance and try to solve it using what makes sense to them. It is expected that math learners make mistakes. Support your child to keep thinking and persevere to revise their previous thinking and solve the problem. Your child may solve the question in a way that you are not familiar- this is ok as their work has meaning for them. Ask your child to explain what they were thinking when they solved the problem and the steps they took to solve it. Encourage your child to think about a problem before approaching it and decide whether or not it is a situation where they can estimate or if they need an exact answer. If they decide it needs an exact answer then help your child to decide if they can do this question efficiently mentally, with paper and pencil or use technology.

Helping your child to look for and figure out challenging problems in the world can provide meaningful opportunities to experience mathematics. Take advantage of opportunities to talk or ask questions about mathematical situations. The following activities can help your child to see mathematics as useful and relevant to their lives:

• counting and estimating items
• playing games
• doing puzzles
• shopping
• measuring when cooking / baking