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Teachers’ Advice to Parents about Common Core Math Homework

It isn’t uncommon to see posts on social media from parents who are confused by what is happening in their child’s classroom, especially when it comes to math homework.

Common Core is often blamed for the unfamiliar math methods — but in fact, lots of these methods weren’t created by the Common Core, they are actually methods that experts agree are strong approaches to helping  kids to truly understand math concepts.

At a recent Fordham Institute event, teachers and education experts came together to discuss Common Core math and what parents should do to better understand what’s happening in the classroom and if they don’t understand their child’s math homework.

The answer across the board was to communicate with your child’s teacher to find out why your student is learning what they are learning and how it will help them in the long run. Be patient. Have faith that your child’s teacher is focused on helping your child become more fluent and comfortable with math, so as they move up to more challenging problems they have a strong foundation of understanding.

Check out the video below where panelists share their advice to parents about how to handle math homework:

There are many resources out there for parents to understand what kids are learning in the classroom – for example: BeALearningHero.org’s Skills Builder and Great Kids State Test Guide for Parents.

Want to learn more?

Check out this piece from Salon Magazine responding to all of those confusing “Common Core math problems” you’ve been seeing online.

Or take a look at this piece from us explaining why using multiple approaches to the same concept in math is a good thing.

Check out this piece explaining why learning multiple approaches to a simple problem is valuable to help all students become fluent in math.

Or see this blog post from a math teacher explaining how building math knowledge works under Common Core.

About the Collaborative for Student Success

At our core, we believe leaders at all levels have a role to play in ensuring success for K-12 students. From ensuring schools and teachers are equipped with the best materials to spotlighting the innovative and bold ways federal recovery dollars are being used to drive needed changes, the Collaborative for Student Success aims to inform and amplify policies making a difference for students and families.

To recover from the most disruptive event in the history of American public schools, states and districts are leveraging unprecedented resources to make sure classrooms are safe for learning, providing students and teachers with the high-quality instructional materials they deserve, and are rethinking how best to measure learning so supports are targeted where they’re needed most. 

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