Helping Your Child in the Area of Mathematics

Support positive attitudes towards mathematics

Let your child know that everyone can be successful in mathematics. This can be done by
encouraging your child to be persistent in working through problems; success will build confidence.
Avoid negative comments about math such as, I was never good at math.
Praise effort not intelligence. Use words like I like how hard you are trying. Avoid saying things like you are smart.

Be an active participant in your childs learning

Read books to your child that involve math and talk about the math as you read.
Relate math to real-life experiences so your child can see how math is useful.
Complete puzzles and play board and computer games that involve logical thinking, strategizing, and reasoning.
Involve your child in daily activities that require the use of math such as weighing objects at the grocery store,
measuring ingredients for a recipe, and estimating the amount of time it will take to complete a task.
Problem-solve out loud so your child can learn how think through the steps necessary to solve a problem.

Create an appropriate learning environment

Provide materials and manipulatives that promote and support mathematics such as pencils, paper, rulers, tape
measures, counters, protractors, calculator, measuring spoons/cups, analog clock, graph paper, thermometer, etc.
Create a homework spot in a well-lit spot, complete with sharpened pencils and erasers, where your child can
study and do homework.

Promote critical thinking and problem-solving skills

As your child works on math assignments, ask higher order thinking questions such as How can you prove that? What
would happen if? Does that make sense? Can you predict what would happen next? How does this relate to?

Encourage your child to solve problems a variety of ways: Guess and check, draw a picture, make a list, solve a
similar problem, look for a pattern, work backwards, use manipulatives, simulate the problem, make a list, etc.

Show interest in what your child is doing and learning at school

Make it a habit to ask your child to tell you about what they learned about math in school that day. Follow up with
interesting questions to let them know what they are learning is important to you.

Participate in parent-teacher conferences, Open House nights, Family Math Night and other educational and
community-building events.

For more ideas on helping your child in math, visit

our Family Math Night Facebook page or website
at www.FamilyMathNight.com.

Ayude a su Hijo en el rea de Matemticas

Apoye actitudes positivas hacia las Matemticas
Dgale a su hijo que todo el mundo puede tener xito en las matemticas. Esto se puede hacer de la siguiente
manera:
. Animando a su hijo a ser persistente en el trabajo a travs de los problemas; el xito va a construir confianza.
Evite comentarios negativos acerca de las matemticas tales como: Yo nunca fui bueno para las matemticas
Elogie el esfuerzo no la inteligencia. Use palabras como Me gusta cuanto te esfuerzas. Evite decir cosas como eres
inteligente.

Sea un participante activo en el aprendizaje de su hijo

Lea libros a su hijo que involucren matemticas y hable acerca de las matemticas a medida que lee.
Relacione las matemticas con experiencias de la vida real para que su hijo pueda ver como las matemticas son
tiles.
Complete rompecabezas y juegue juegos de mesa y computadora que involucren el pensamiento lgico, estratgico
y de razonamiento.
Involucre a su hijo en actividades diarias que requieran el uso de las matemticas tales como pesar objetos en el
supermercado, medir ingredientes para una receta, y estimar la cantidad de tiempo que se necesita para completar
una tarea.
Resuelva problemas en voz alta para que su hijo pueda aprender como pensar a travs de los pasos necesarios para
resolver un problema.

Crea un ambiente de aprendizaje apropiado

Provea materiales y manipulativos que promuevan y apoyen las matemticas tales como lpices, papel, reglas,
cintas mtricas, fichas, transportadores, calculadora, cucharas/tazas de medir, reloj analgico, papel cuadriculado,
termmetro, etc.
Crea un lugar de tarea en un espacio iluminado, completo por lpices afilados y borradores, donde su hijo pueda
estudiar y hacer su tarea.

Fomente las habilidades de pensamiento y resolucin de problemas crticos

A medida que su hijo trabaja en las tareas de matemticas, haga preguntas de pensamiento de orden superior, tales
como Cmo se puede probar eso? Qu pasara si ... ? Eso tiene sentido? Se puede predecir lo que sucedera a
continuacin? Cmo se relaciona esto con ... ?
Anime a su hijo a resolver problemas de varias maneras: haciendo conjeturas y verificando, haciendo un dibujo,
haciendo una lista, resolviendo un problema similar, buscando patrones, trabajando hacia atrs, usando
manipulativos, simular el problema, etc.

Demuestre inters en lo que su hijo est haciendo y aprendiendo en la escuela

Haga un hbito el pedirle a su hijo que le cuente sobre lo que estn aprendiendo acerca de las matemticas en la
escuela ese da. Haga un seguimiento con preguntas interesantes para hacerles saber lo que estn aprendiendo es
importante para usted.
Participe en conferencias de padres y maestros, noches de conferencias en la escuela, Noche Familiar de
Matemticas y otros eventos educativos y de desarrollo comunitario.
Para ms ideas de cmo ayudar a su hijo en
matemticas visite nuestra pgina de Facebook Family
Math Night o pgina web www.FamilyMathNight.com

Thank you for checking out my TPT freebie! This is a great

resource to hand out at back-to-school night or a Family Math Night

event. I had it translated into Spanish, as well!
A little about me: Ive been teaching since 1987! I have two professional
passions: elementary mathematics and parent education. One day I
decided to combine the two and I now create fantastic Family Math Night
kits. Family Math Night events are a great way to get parents involved
on an academic level.
Ive hosted A LOT of Family Math Night events. If youre hosting one and
have questions, feel free to email me. I also have a lot of additional
family math night ideas on my website www.familymathnight.com under the
Resources section. One thing Ive been working on recently is a video
series of the collaborative projects that Ive been doing at my Family
Math Night events (see my YouTube channel). Its great STEM/STEAM
stuff and although I do them at family math night events, theyre great
for the classroom, too! Im working on organizing all the pdfs for you,
so follow me and youll get them when Im done.
I love feedback so share any thoughts you have. I always respond.
Happy Counting!

Connect with me:

Karyn

Facebook.com/FamilyMathNight
Pinterest.com/FamilyMathNight

blog

FamilyMathNight.com/blog
Family Math Night
Karyn@familymathnight.com