The most important thing you can do to help your child with online math homework is to maintain a positive attitude towards seeking extra help and towards math in general. Model a growth mindset and a desire to help them succeed. Building confidence can take time, but if you work together, you will get there.
If you’re struggling to help your child with online math homework, you are not alone. Many parents in NW Calgary are finding it challenging to help their kids resolve tricky math homework for a variety of reasons. It could be that children are more distracted at home or less receptive to parental involvement. It could also be that the methods of teaching many math concepts has changed over the past several years.
Whatever the reason, helping your child with online math homework help can get easier using these tips.
- Talk to your child: Start an open dialogue on what the assignment is about, what their teacher has asked them to complete and what they need to do to get the work done. When you find the areas of difficulty, have your child walk through their process to figure out what part of the concept or assignment isn’t resonating. At this point, it is important to remind them it’s okay not to know the answers. You want your child to feel comfortable talking about their struggles and to reduce the embarrassment they may feel in not knowing what to do
- Adopt a Growth Mindset: Help your child to process that difficulties understanding are a part of learning and that you are there to help them figure it out together. Show them how to keep calm and overcome frustrations when they arise. Praise the efforts they make to solve their own challenges but when they reach a frustration point, encourage them to ask for help. Providing strategies to deal with failure will allow them to feel empowered even when a situation is tough to get through
- Look for “self-directed” solutions: Prompt your child with some questions to get them looking for solutions and guidance on their own. Try some of these:
- Where should they start?
- What notes could they use?
- Have they done online math homework like this before?
- Could you search for examples online?
- Make it FUN: Find ways to engage your child so they actually want to tackle their online math homework. Sometimes when their confidence is low, no amount of solution based direction will get them feeling motivated. When you hit a roadblock like that, try using creativity and games to draw them in. Talk about how math is used in daily life and try getting out of your regular homework setting. If you’re working on fractions or measurement, do some baking. If you’re working on measurement conversions, hit the grocery store or try measuring your home. Anything that gets them thinking about math in a real life way makes it more interesting and shows why math is such a critical skill to learn.
- Ask guiding questions: but don’t give the answers. Resist the urge to provide the answers or the solution on how to get to the answer. Ask questions that move them in the right direction and get them thinking about how to apply the strategies they have already learned.
- Look for outside help: If you’ve spent some time working with your child, have tried creative ways to engage them and they are still not grasping the work, it may be time to seek outside help from a tutor. A qualified math tutor in your area can assess your child’s learning style, diagnose knowledge gaps and determine which strategies will help them best. Having a tutor to help get your child back on track is a great option and it also provides the bonus of an ongoing homework support when needed.
Mathnasium of NW Calgary offers programs that are created with your child’s best interests in mind, so if you do need to seek more help with online math homework, we are here for you. Check out our website for more information on the unique ways that a NW Calgary Mathnasium instructor can be your child's best homework ally.
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