It can be frustrating for parents when their child struggles with math. Math is not taught the same way as when they were in school, and some parents deal with their own math anxiety. Asking the child’s teacher for help is one solution, but not always the easiest or most convenient.
Since technology is becoming a significant source for information, parents can turn to the World Wide Web to find math help. Online tools are available to help parents understand not only how math is now taught but also what to do to help their child improve poor math skills and gain confidence with problem solving.
Online Parent Math Resources
Math resources for parents are abundant, but a few provide valuable assistance for more than how to teach children math skills. These sites highlight the different stages of learning, strategies for overcoming anxieties, and simple ways to teach math based on everyday activities.
For example, All Kinds of Minds provides educator and parent resources based on current educational research and practices. Their Parent Toolkit explains how math works, why it might be difficult, and step-by-step examples so parents can experience different types of problems before trying to help with homework.
Another online resource, provided by the U.S. Department of Education, takes a different approach. It is based on a 1999 document about math activities that provides a glimpse into math classrooms and many hands-on math games that can be played at home.
Online Math Skills Practice
Besides learning how to help and encourage math games at home, parents can send their child to an online math practice site. Many of these sites provide math practice games and challenges in a fun and engaging way.
Though some online sites charge a small access fee, others provide free games based on the math skill or grade level in an age appropriate way. One site, IKnowThat.com, provides accounts for free, though for a small fee the ads can be removed, and the math activities include games, interactive examples, speed based skill practice, and problem solving to unlock parts of videos.
Other sites are completely free. Another site, Fun Brain, is about improving math skills through arcade-style video games; whereas Math.com is more traditional in its approach and offers tutorials, examples, and practice problems along with games.
The web is a rich source of information when parents need information about how to help their child with math. Not only can parents improve their understanding of basic math skills and how math is taught in schools, but they can also find engaging online and hands-on activities to help their child succeed in math.
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