Today, children learn math differently. Here’s how to help your child succeed.

Have you ever felt overwhelmed when helping your children with their math homework? Elementary math has changed a lot over the years, and it can sometimes feel like a completely new subject to parents. Gone are the days of rote learning and one-size-fits-all problem solving, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

There’s a reason math looks different today, and these changes are designed to help promote more conceptual thinking, develop problem-solving skills, and understand Why behind the numbers.

Here, we’ll take a closer look at how primary school math has changed over the years, and the best ways to help your child complete their homework and build confidence to succeed.

What are the core math concepts in elementary school?

For elementary school students, mathematics focuses on building a strong foundation in key concepts to prepare them for more advanced mathematics in the future. Children in grades K-5 gradually learn these concepts, including:

• addition and subtraction
• Number sense (e.g., understanding values ​​and relationships, such as greater than and less than)
• Fractions and Decimals
• Geometry and Measurement
• Multiplication and division

How elementary mathematics evolved over time

While the core concepts remain the same, the way children learn these concepts changes.

“We know that rote learning is not really [working]” said Dr. Jill Neumayer DePiper, senior fellow and research manager for mathematics education at WestEd. “To be successful, students need to be problem solvers and understand concepts. “

Here are five major ways elementary school math is taught differently today:

• More conceptual understanding: Teachers help students understand mathematical concepts and develop problem-solving skills rather than just memorizing procedures and formulas.
• Pay more attention to daily applications: Students are using more practical, relatable, everyday examples, such as calculating the number of supplies needed for a camping trip.
• Enhance collaboration and discussion: Encourage students to solve problems together while explaining their thinking, rather than just working independently on worksheets.
• Create a more positive mindset: A greater emphasis on developing students’ confidence and helping them realize that anyone can become a “mathematical person.”
• Increased use of technology and games: Teachers are looking for ways to incorporate more interactive activities and strategic games to make math more engaging and fun.

Most importantly, DePiper emphasized, today’s basic math better prepares students for real-life applications. “No one in the real world [recites] Odd numbers from 1 to 37, so that doesn’t really prepare the kids,” she said. “When they go out [into the world]they must be able to think critically about mathematics… in order to use it.

Tips for helping your kids complete their math homework

Helping your child with math homework involves more than checking for correct answers, and DePiper shares some key tips to remember:

Emphasize that anyone can become a “mathematical person”.

If helping your kids with math homework isn’t at the top of your list of favorite activities, that’s okay (and understandable) – just don’t admit it! One of the most important ways to help your children succeed is to develop a positive and can-do attitude. If they are constantly told that mom or dad is “bad” at math, they may start to believe that they are too.

“We really hope parents [avoid saying] Whether they’re a ‘math person’ or not,” DePiper explained. “This may mean that math ability is fixed, when in fact, everyone can develop strong math skills.”

Rather than accepting the idea that your child might be born to struggle with math, try focusing on what they do best.

Use as many real-life mathematical examples as possible.

While worksheets and other assignments are important, DePiper emphasizes the value of coming up with everyday ways to teach math applications.

Provide some interesting examples such as:

• You’re going on a three-day trip – how many bags of chips should we buy?
• If it takes 25 minutes to get to a football game, what time do we need to get up and get ready, and what time should we leave home to arrive on time?
• The toy you want to buy costs $12 and you have $20 in your piggy bank. How much money do you have left?
• We have 15 chocolate chip cookies, how do we divide them equally among five friends?
• The T-shirt is on sale for $20 and is currently 30% off. What’s the sales price?
• We still have half a gallon of milk left in the refrigerator – enough to get our family through the weekend?
• This recipe calls for three tablespoons of flour – can you help me measure it?

Be creative! The key is to introduce relevant scenarios that prepare them for life in the real world.

Make the most of technology and gaming.

Can you imagine if all the learning games and apps we had as kids were available? math certainly It won’t look so scary.

Today’s students have a wealth of interesting options at their fingertips, and DePiper recommends taking advantage of them. She mentioned games like Yahtzee, Settlers of Catan (or Catan Junior), and Unstable Unicorns. “It doesn’t have to look like a number [or] Math,” she said. “This is still [process of] Solve the problems the children are asked to do.

There are also many learning apps available, including Kahn Academy Kids and Prodigy, which create beneficial aspects of screen time.

Try to give them a little space.

It can be hard not to jump in and help with your child’s math homework (especially in elementary school), but it’s important to take a step back. Target? focus on effort Too perfect.

“If your child is having trouble at home, your job as a parent is to be the cheerleader,” DePiper said. She encourages a laid-back approach, such as offering words of encouragement (or snacks if it’s been a long night!) rather than forcing them to figure out every answer. “Reducing stress is important,” she added.

Keep open lines of communication with teachers.

If your child simply doesn’t understand their homework, DePiper recommends sending a note to the teacher telling them what problems your child solved and what they struggled with.

Ultimately, teachers value transparency. Telling them about the difficulties your child is facing can help them identify learning gaps and tailor individual support and extra help as needed.

Use your own methods as examples, not answers.

If you’ve ever looked at your child’s math homework and thought, “Let me show you how I did it as a kid,” you’re not alone. As a parent, it’s normal to revert to the “old school” way of solving math problems, and it’s fine to show it to your children, but use it as example Rather than the “best” way.

Think of it as an opportunity to work as a team to complete the assignment. Instead of saying “This is how you should solve this problem,” try saying “Would you like me to tell you how I solved this problem in school?” This helps reinforce the idea that completing your math homework There is more than one way to do this, thereby further improving basic problem-solving skills.

“There are many strands to proficiency, and they’re all intertwined,” DePiper said. “You need procedural flow—you do want kids to know very quickly that three plus seven equals ten. But then you need the conceptual understanding that there are many other ways to get to ten.

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What’s the bottom line? What helps today’s children succeed in math is problem solving and a deeper understanding of the material, not rote learning and repetition. As a parent, it takes a combination of support, independence, open communication, cooperative learning, and stress reduction to help them succeed.

Give your kids room to try it out on their own—even if it means they don’t get it right away. (It’s okay to struggle a little!) As DePiper emphasizes, anyone can become a “math person” because it’s more than just mindlessly reciting math facts. It’s about looking at every problem with an open mind and understanding what the problem is Why the process behind it.

By focusing on encouragement, developing problem-solving skills, and connecting math to real-life situations, you can help your child build the confidence and understanding they need to learn math at any age.