How can I help my child to stop struggling in math?

I frequently get questions from moms and dads about how they can help their child do better in math. It is easy to feel isolated in that situation, but your child is actually a part of the majority of children in America struggling to perform at grade level in math.

A report measuring reading and math proficiency across the United States found that a massive 67 percent of 8th graders were not proficient in math.  To make matters worse, another study found that 9 out of 10 parents believed their children were on grade level. This gap in reality and perception created by our education system helps explain why our children are falling behind.

Ignorance may be bliss, but knowledge is power. If you already understand that your child struggles in math and needs help, you are five steps ahead of many other parents. The next step is to know what resources are out there to help your child and how to make best use of them to see measurable improvements.

Here are my top five resources.

Professional Tutor

The best part of most of the resources in this list is that they are completely free. But there are a few caveats you should keep in mind with self-study resources.

Your child needs to stay super motivated with them and use them consistently to really improve in math. Simply knowing about the resources and using them occasionally will not do much good.

Most of the time, it is also difficult to learn math on your own without someone teaching it to you at your own pace and holding your hand along the way unless you already have a solid foundation in math. Someone who struggles with math will find self-study daunting, which can lead to frustration, procrastination, and zero improvement.

A professional tutor helps with those aspects. Not only is he/she there to teach math, but also to help when your child gets stuck, does not understand, or makes mistakes. He/she is there to create a successful study plan, keep track of your child’s progress, and help you hold your child accountable for the work that needs to be put in to do better in math.

Khan Academy

Many students are already familiar with Khan Academy because teachers are use it frequently in their classrooms to assist with learning. This resource provides courses that consist of short videos for many different subjects, including AP courses and the SAT.

There are exercises, quizzes, and tests with most of these courses in which students can earn points. The points help them stay motivated and keep track of their progress in a subject.

Youtube

Your child probably uses Youtube to watch videos for entertainment, but have they tried using it to learn math? There are countless videos with educators explaining different concepts and math problems. Another advantage is that the videos are often made interesting so that people will want to watch them and subscribe.

Virtual Nerd

On the Virtual Nerd website, students grades 6 and up can get tutorials in math subjects. The tutorials are highly detailed, organized by topic, and comprehensive.

IXL

While not exactly free, you can get access to hundreds of K-12 math activities and questions with IXL’s monthly subscription for $12.95. There is also a built-in awards system as your child continues practicing and making progress.  

Many students make the mistake of thinking they understand something after watching someone else do it. When they then try to do it without practice, they are not able to. Practice is so important because it helps you figure out where your strengths and weaknesses really are and it helps you improve.