Maths homework - hints for helping

Maths homework – a painful thought for a lot of students, and an even more painful thought for many parents! I thought I’d share my advice for parents with regards to maths homework, in particular for upper primary and secondary students.  

Firstly, well meaning parents can often

inadvertently set their kids up to expect failure. Many parents say things like ‘I always found maths hard’ or ‘I never did well at maths when I was at school, I don’t mind if she doesn’t do well, she just needs to pass’. Whilst I understand that this is a way of letting your child know that you understand, that it’s ok if they are struggling, it can in itself have a negative effect. At times it can set kids up to expect to struggle, to work hard and just scrape through. By all means, help and support your child, but try to give them positive expectations.  

Secondly, see if there are other aspects which are making things difficutl At times, disorganisation may contribute to your child’s difficulties with homework, especially if they have just started high school or changed schools. This advice looks at some ways to address this.  

Thirdly, have a look at your child’s book. Check that it is set out neatly – messy work can be confusing. Have them start a new line for each new sum. When working with fractions, it might be easier to use every second line to give some more room. Encourage them to underline answers and then leave a line before starting the next question. This should make it easier to see what’s going on.  

Fourthly, encourage your child to use their textbook and their notes from class. Often the teacher will have modelled the question in class that day. See what your child has written down. Are there any formulae or rules which you can use? Also use the textbook if your child has one. Textbooks usually have information and worked examples. Encourage your child to read through these and  to think about them. It might help you too – if you need a reminder about how to work out the surface area of a square based pyramid!  

Fifthly, don’t think that you have to struggle through all on your own. If your child is struggling, talk to his/ her teacher. Make a time to talk through the issues and work out what you need to do. If your child just needs some extra practise and guidance, see if that’s available. Many schools have a ‘homework club’ or the like in the afternoon; this might be an opportunity for your child to sit down with someone to help him/ her.

Maths is an area which can be stressful for some, but there are ways to make things easier, for both your child and you. Happy counting!