TIPS
- Stay in contact with your student's teacher!
- Talk to your student. Ask them to explain things they are learning, and how they are learning it.
- Try to avoid saying something along the lines of "I was never good at math" or "I can't help you with math" to your student. Instead, help them find resources, help them see that it is okay to struggle, struggle with them. This will help teach them perseverance!
- Use the CPM textbook resources available at www.cpm.org.
- Stay up to date on changes and utilize resources provided by the state from the Illinois State Board of Education at http://www.isbe.net/students3.htm.
- Get involved! Stay active in yours school's PTA and your district's Board of Education.
Talking to your student's teacher
Do not be afraid to ask questions. If you don't know what is going on, you should. Some possible questions for discussion with a teacher might be:
1. How can I support my student at home? What resources are available to us?
2. What are you doing to support my student in the classroom?
3. Where is my student at? What are their strengths mathematically? What are their areas of growth?
4. How is my student as a team/group member? What are their strengths? What are their areas of growth?
1. How can I support my student at home? What resources are available to us?
2. What are you doing to support my student in the classroom?
3. Where is my student at? What are their strengths mathematically? What are their areas of growth?
4. How is my student as a team/group member? What are their strengths? What are their areas of growth?
Questions for your child
Talking to your student can be difficult. Here are some questions that might help open the conversation:
1. What topics did you learn about today? How do these relate to other topics you've learned about?
2. What strategies do you use when you get stuck in math?
3. What did your classmates, notes, textbook, or teacher say about this topic that can help you?
4. What new understanding do you have that you didn't have before this?
5. What part of the question do you get stuck on? Can you write a question to describe your point of confusion?
6. What role do you play in teamwork? What strengths, skills, and abilities do you bring to team? How can you use these in class, or even in the real world?
1. What topics did you learn about today? How do these relate to other topics you've learned about?
2. What strategies do you use when you get stuck in math?
3. What did your classmates, notes, textbook, or teacher say about this topic that can help you?
4. What new understanding do you have that you didn't have before this?
5. What part of the question do you get stuck on? Can you write a question to describe your point of confusion?
6. What role do you play in teamwork? What strengths, skills, and abilities do you bring to team? How can you use these in class, or even in the real world?