How to help with math homework

Start with what your child already knows

When a child says "I don't get it," it rarely means they understand nothing. Usually one step is missing. Before you explain anything, ask them to read the problem aloud and tell you what it is asking.

Then ask what they tried. Those two answers tell you where the gap is, and often a child finds the answer while explaining.

Look at the class materials too. A worksheet title, a worked example at the top of the page, or a photo of the board from class shows you which method the teacher expects. Using that method avoids the frustrating moment when your child says "that's not how we do it."

Ask questions instead of explaining

Explaining feels faster, but a child who listens to an explanation often nods along and then gets stuck on the next problem. Questions keep them doing the thinking. These work at almost any grade level:

• What is the question asking you to find?
• What do you already know from the problem?
• Have you seen a problem like this before? What did you do then?
• Can you draw a picture of it?
• What would happen if the numbers were smaller?
• How could you check whether your answer makes sense?
• Can you teach me how you did that?

A worked example: adding fractions

Here is a typical fifth-grade problem: Maya and her brother shared one pizza. Maya ate 2/3 of it and her brother ate 1/4 of it. How much of the pizza did they eat together, and how much is left?

A common first attempt is to add the tops and the bottoms and get 3/7. Instead of saying that's wrong, ask, "Is 3/7 more or less than 2/3?" Your child can see that the two of them together cannot have eaten less than Maya ate alone, which is a stronger lesson than being corrected. Then ask, "What size pieces could we cut the pizza into so both amounts use the same pieces?" That question leads to a common denominator.

Drawing helps. Sketch a rectangle split into 3 columns and 4 rows, which gives 12 equal pieces. Two-thirds is 8 of those pieces and one-fourth is 3 of them, so your child can count the answer instead of taking it on faith.

When the method looks different from how you learned

California's math standards, the California Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, ask students to understand why a method works and not only to follow steps. That is why you may see area models for multiplication, number lines for fractions, or students asked to explain their thinking in words. The standards still expect students to learn the standard methods for adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing; the models come first to build understanding.

If you learned a different method, it is fine to mention it, but let your child stay with the class method for homework. You might say, "I learned a different way. Show me yours first, and then we can see if mine gets the same answer." Comparing the two is good math in itself.

Set up a routine that makes homework easier

• Same time and place most days, with a snack first and screens away.
• Start with one easy problem to build momentum.
• Keep a pencil, eraser, and scrap paper nearby; scratch work is part of the work.
• Break long assignments into chunks with a short stretch between them.
• Praise effort and good strategies, like checking an answer, not only correct answers.
• Stop when it turns into tears. A note to the teacher saying where your child got stuck is more useful than a finished page done in frustration.

When to step back or get more help

Some signs mean the problem is bigger than one assignment:

• The same kind of mistake shows up week after week, even after it has been explained.
• Homework regularly takes much longer than the teacher expects.
• Your child says they understand in class but cannot start problems at home.
• Gaps from earlier grades, like multiplication facts or fractions, keep getting in the way of new topics.
• Math has become a source of fights at home.

When to get more help

Talk with the teacher first. They can tell you what is expected and whether extra support at school is available. Outside school, a tutor can take on the role you have been playing.