5 of 7

Write now Article Tools

We have come a long way in our house when it comes to math homework.

It used to be such a nightmare! My daughter and I would both end up in tears, and feeling badly. This went on until about 6th grade, when I decided enough was enough!

Now, when my daughter has math homework, it is completed in a very specific way.

1. She is to review the homework with me. We go over the instructions, to determine if she feels comfortable with the material or has no clue where to begin. This gives me a good idea of how much time we are looking at, in other words, can we do it while I prepare dinner, or should we hold off until after dinner when the rest of the family clears the kitchen. This also gives her a preview of what she will be working on, gets her thinking about her math lesson from the day, etc.

2. When it is time to begin, my daughter gets all of the materials she will need to complete the assignment: her paper, pencil, calculator, rulers, math reference book, etc. At this point she is to begin the assignment, and complete everything she can on her own. Sometimes this is only writing her name at the top! But other times, she has 1/2 of it completed before calling for help.

3. When it is time to "help" I get the math reference book out and ask her to find the material covered in the book. The way we learned math is much different than what they teach today, so using the book from their math class is very helpful. It keeps things consistent for her. Together, we review the information, and I basically, re-teach her the material, while we complete each problem. I never used to do this. This was the break through for us. I finally realized that if she knew how to do the work - she would just do it! Someone has to give her that extra one-on-one help - it might as well be me! Sometimes I write a note on the bottom of the paper to her teacher if she is really struggling with the subject matter. The teacher loves this!

Try this method at home - my daughter and I have been working like this for 3 years now, and while we still both get frustrated sometimes, things are much better!

Learn more about this author, Kristine Irish.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about How to deal with learning disabilities in basic math skills?
We want to hear your view. Write now!