Your Role

You can support your child as she/he does homework by:

  • Providing an environment that enables them to think deeply and work efficiently.

For some children this means a quiet, well-lit place to work (e.g. sitting at a table free from distractions). Others may work well with low-level background noise or sitting on their bed. There is no one right setting for all children. Talk to your child and find out which setting is best for him/her.

  • Encouraging your child to take their time and to think through problems.

Children need sufficient time to tackle homework assignments thoughtfully. Some benefit from having a predictable time to do homework or to engage in math games while others respond better to more flexible, day-to-day planning.

Although Investigations homework sheets typically have only one or two problems to be solved, children must work through these problems thoroughly in order to make the mathematical connections necessary for understanding and apply this understanding to future activities and math problems.

  • Asking questions.

Many families find that talking to their children about math work done in school to helps them more effectively engage in homework activities. Also, talk with your child about the ways in which they will approach a particular problem, whether it is an everyday math situation or a homework problem. These questions will help your child articulate a starting point and select a strategy they can use to solve problems. After the task is completed, ask your child to describe what they did and to prove that their answer is accurate.

If your child does homework in an after-school setting discuss and review their homework together as a way of learning about what your child is doing in math at school.