WHY PARENTS MATTER IN MATH EDUCATION

I truly believe that as parents, you are your child’s first and primary educator. You are the most influential person in their lives. The foundation of curiosity, resilience and love for learning often starts at home. When it comes to mathematics, your involvement can play a crucial role in shaping not just your child’s skills but their confidence and attitude toward the subject. Together, as a team, we can cultivate a positive math experience that sets your child up for lifelong success. 

The Relationship Between Educators and Parents 

Why Parents Matter in Math Education 

I get this from my best friends all the time: they tell me how terrible at math they are and just can’t help their kids. Math is an innate subject and it really depends on the experience you had as a child. Math educators everywhere are trying to reverse that. Some students are luckier than others and have inspirational leaders in education to guide them down the path to math greatness. Others go through the motions to get through what they can in mathematics, having severe foundational gaps going forward. We know that math has building blocks and a solid foundation. I beg for all of the parents out there, do not tell your student “I am so bad at math” or “I hate math.” That opens the door for a fixed mindset when we educators want to see our students flourish. Your attitude toward math matters; if you approach it with excitement and curiosity, your child is more likely to do the same. Research shows that parental support can significantly impact a student’s math achievement. Encouraging a growth mindset can help children productively struggle and ultimately persist through difficulties. This is especially important in math where students often feel frustrated or overwhelmed. 

Working Together: Parents and Educators

I truly believe in collaboration. Here is how you can work together with your tutor or math teacher to ensure that your child has a positive math experience: 

1. Open Communication: Share your child’s strengths, challenges and goals. Your child’s high school math teacher might not want to receive a 4-page email on the first day of school, but perhaps at the next Parent-Teacher conference you can let the teacher know a little more about their learning needs.  

   
   

2. Reinforce Learning at Home: This does not have to be a formal math lesson at home. This can be as easy as solving puzzles, involving your child in budgeting or money situations, adjusting recipes for your next big family gathering, or involving them in your next home improvement project. Make everything you do in your everyday life a teachable moment and empower your child, they know more than you think! 

   
   

3. Celebrate Progress: Recognize and celebrate the small victories in your child’s math journey. This helps to build their confidence and motivates them to keep learning. 

   
   

4. Foster a Positive Environment: I cannot emphasize this one enough. Frame challenges as opportunities for growth. Avoid saying “I am not a math person.” We use math everyday, so isn’t it true that you are in fact a “math person?”

   
   

5. Encourage Questions: Let your child explore and ask “why” or “how” in any task at home. Curiosity is the first step in problem-solving and questioning leads to a deeper understanding 

   
   

Final Thoughts

If you choose to work together with your child’s tutor, math teacher, counselor, you will be able to help your child see math not as a set of rigid rules but as a tool of creativity for discovery and problem-solving. Commit to creating a learning partnership with those involved that inspires a love for mathematics and equips your child for a bright future.