How Can I Best Support My Child in Math?

Every parent wants the best for their child’s future, and of course, thriving in math class is an important
component of that goal. How can parents support their child’s math learning, though, if what we
understand about learning math has changed so much?

1. What is A Conceptual Approach to Math, and Why Do We Use It?

The column at right summarizes
our beliefs. Most of us adults
Traditional Our Conceptual
were educated in the traditional Approach to Approach to Teaching
system on the left. Some of my
classmates exceled, others of us Teaching Math Math
did not. Knowledge exists outside the Knowledge exists within the child.
Traditional instruction was child, and is imparted by Students can construct conceptual
successful at preparing a small adults through direct meaning through hands-on
group of students for instruction. experiences and observation.
professional careers and giving a
The student role is passive The student is expected to engage
large majority the skills they
and receptive. actively in investigations, based on
needed for factory jobs.
their natural curiosity.
This has all changed. The
Learning is primarily done Much of the learning evolves from
recognized educational with pencil and paper. hands-on concrete investigations,
priorities for the 21st century reflection and discussion.
include critical thinking,
communication and Math is about learning to find Math is about observing patterns,
collaboration, creativity, and correct answers. deducing rules, and distilling
technology skills. problem-solving processes.
It is our firm belief that one of Focus is on memorization of Focus is on the construction of a
the best places to build these
facts, vocabulary and large conceptual foundation.
vital 21st Century skills is in
formulas.
the math classroom. More
specifically, in a
The adult’s role is to talk, the The child’s role is to talk, the
thinking math classroom.
child’s role is to listen. adult’s role is to listen.
If we expect the citizen of the
future to be foremost a creative, flexible problem solver with good communication skills, then it is our
duty to align education with that goal.
What does this look like in the classroom?
• “Ask, Don’t Tell” - We keep our own telling to a minimum, and instead ask questions. “What
if?” questions with overtones of curiosity and wondering. “What if we moved this block here?
What if we had twice as many blocks? What if a mouse stole some of the blocks at nighttime?
What if you and I shared them equally? What if we built a bunch of houses with 6 blocks each?”
Open-ended wonderings and stories that feed a child’s natural interest in how the world works.
• “Let’s Ask the Blocks” - Students don’t need to be told how to understand math if they trust
their own ability to deduce math
truths by exploration. A first
 grader might remark that these 4 sixes are easier to see as 4 fives plus 4 ones (therefore 20 + 4) .
She is benefitting from having used ten-frames so often that she sees TEN blocks on the ten
frame as “The Quantity that Does Not Need to Be Counted”, and FIVE as “No Way Do I Need
to Count That Row”. She is now well on her way to a conceptually-based understanding of
multiplication. The blocks give way to drawings, then to visualization, and finally to mental
math with confidence.
• “Can You Prove That?” – We use sentence or its twin
“Can you show me why that works?” to encourage DATA POINT: Evidence from
students to think critically about facts they think they the 13 million students who took
know. I feign surprise at their new insight, and ask them the 2012 PISA test showed that
to explain it to me. If they can use blocks to show me the lowest achieving students in
why their answer works, they have solid, conceptual math were those who used
understanding. memorization as their main math
• “Speed Is Not Intelligence” - We avoid games based strategy. The highest achieving
on speed and competition. We don’t use timed tests or students were those who thought
flash cards. of math as a set of connected, big
Here’s the thing: Thinking is hard. And good thinking is ideas.
often slow. Actually, good thinking probably alternates
between a fumbling slowness and sudden flashes of insight. But memorization is a shortcut that
builds neither number sense nor thinking skills.
Yes, fluency is necessary for later math subjects, but there are many roads to fluency, and
memorization is the dullest.
Þ Note – Like Stanford professor Jo Boaler? Read her take on speed in math learning here.

2. Doesn’t All This Take a Long Time ?

Why yes, it does. Especially at the beginning, in the first 3 or 4 years of school. But we’re looking at a
long game.
Young children need to build a huge foundation of number sense, mental math, conceptual
understanding and problem-solving experience.
10 ones make a ten, and then we bundle those ones and start counting over again, (“10+1, 10+2...
I mean eleven, twelve...) And one ten can be unbundled again, into 10 ones, if you want to
subtract something and need some ones.
10 tens bundle to 100, and unbundle again, too. “It’s always ten of this equals one of that, unless
!
we’re learning fractions, and then five fifths bundle to one... and 1 " unbundles to 7.”
5 – 0 is five, unless we’re counting all the trees placed at five intervals along a street, and then
it’s six.
If you’re multiplying 2 numbers, you can double one of them and halve the other, and get the
same answer, if it’s easier. But not if you’re dividing. Then you have to double or halve both of
them.
This sounds confusing, but with BLOCKS, it’s not. It makes perfect sense. (Email me and I’ll send you a
short video ... or just ask your child to explain! )
Important though, is the outcome of all this conceptual work in the long run.
What takes so much time in grades Kg – 3rd leads to rapid gains in grades 4 and beyond. The
investment in a strong conceptual foundation of number sense pays off!

I have spent 26 years teaching math at the same school. We adopted Singapore Math 16 years ago, and I
have seen a steady increase in our middle schoolers’ math achievement since then.
! A far greater number of our students finish and test out of a complete high school algebra course
in 8th grade. They comment that “Algebra is just arithmetic with letters instead of numbers.”
 ! All through MS, our students show greater number sense, solve word problems with more ease,
engage in math discourse freely, and show dogged resilience in problem solving.

3. What Can I Do As a Parent to Support My Child ?

HAVE FUN
• Play games! Games that are not speed based. Games that involve both strategy and luck, to even
the playing field.
• Ask questions, and pretend not to know the answer.
• Listen to your child solve a problem. (Be patient – they’re not yet good at details like brevity and
clarity)
• Play shopping with real coins. Cook and bake following a recipe. Talk about daily math as you
do it – mileage, discounts, growth.
• Estimate quantities (maybe a handful of jelly beans!) , then count them in different groupings.
• Use puzzles, logic problems and conundrums if your child enjoys math and wants more depth.

PLEASE DON’T
• Don’t load them down with worksheets and drill, memorized algorithms and facts. This seems to
work in the short run, because children want to please us. But in the long run, they often burn
out. Here is Jo Boaler’s film about being a gifted math student. (It’s emotional, but there’s truth
in it.)
• Don’t feel you have to know all the answers. Resist the desire to explain everything to your
child. The children will learn more if they do the thinking.

4. What If My Child Desires More Challenging Math ?

This is wonderful! We love watching students delve into challenging problems with gusto and resilience.
(It makes my math teacher’s heart glow!) But enrichment does NOT mean bigger numbers and more
algorithms to learn. It means more depth. It means hard problems – problems we get wrong and have
to start over again. It means discussion with like-minded peers – math clubs and math circles. It means
learning to love the “thrill of the chase.” In the 3rd tab of each link below, you’ll find resources that
build thinking skills in our young math lovers’ minds. Let me know if you know of others!

5. Parent Resources for Summer and Beyond

We teachers always hope that students can use their summer vacations to play, explore, spend time
outdoors, and take on responsibilities at home. Part of school readiness is a maturity level that doesn't
necessarily come from the classroom!

However, a moderate amount of basic subject review can be helpful. Try to build this into a
comfortable weekly schedule, and try to keep it fun.

Below is a chart with links to lists of resources and activities, if you choose to use them. Choose
activities that best match your own and your child’s schedule.
Notes:
• 20 - 30 minutes sessions, two or three times a week is a good guideline. (Of course, spend more
or less time depending on your circumstances)
• Games or hands-on investigations are most productive and enjoyable, but we’ve included some
work children can do independently, too.
• Giving students choice in what activities to do also increases learning effectiveness.
 Parent Resources for
Summer and Beyond –
Sorted by Type and Level
Incoming 1st grade

Incoming 2nd grade

Incoming 3rd grade

Incoming 4th grade