Homeschooling     K-12    

I failed algebra



5 ways to improve your child's math skills

5 ways to improve your child's math skills

To help ensure good grades this school year, it's important for children to have a solid understanding of basic math principles. Families can play an essential role in helping their children learn and enjoy math. As a parent, knowing when to get your child the extra math help he or she may need is important.

READ MORE: Be a parent/teacher conference pro

Sylvan Learning, which offers in-center or online tutoring, for math and reading instruction to students in grades three through nine, offers parents the following tips to help improve their child's math skills:
  1. Make sure your child understands math concepts. Math can become a meaningless mental chore of memorizing rules and doing practice drills. Help your child manipulate objects to learn basic concepts. For example, have your child use coins to determine the change needed for your next purchase.

  2. Encourage your child to do more than the assigned problems. Practice makes perfect, and this is especially true with math. If your child's teacher only assigns the even-numbered problems, have your child tackle some of the odd-numbered problems to strengthen skills and develop confidence in his or her abilities.

  3. Make math part of daily life. Math can become more meaningful when your child understands how it is involved in real-life situations. For example, ask him or her to double a recipe, pay a cashier, or keep score of a game.

  4. For problems with math, get help immediately. Students who fail to master basic math concepts will struggle later on with more complex problems. If your child is having trouble, online tutoring can offer a simple solution by providing live, personalized instruction in math from state-certified teachers, and all from the safety and convenience of home.

  5. Monitor your child's progress. An ongoing dialogue about your child's math progress is important; a series of scheduled conferences with your child's tutor or teacher can provide specific feedback for you and your child.
For more information about online tutoring, visit Sylvan Learning or call 1-888-338-2283



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