Great Math Tips from Mr. Adebisi

Helpful Tips for TMSA Parents and Guardians 

Believe that every child can be successful in math. It takes good teaching, coaching, encouragement, and practice. 

• Talk about math in a positive way. A positive attitude about math is infectious. 
• Encourage persistence. Some problems take time to solve. 
• Encourage your child to experiment with different approaches to mathematics. There is often more than one way to solve a math problem. 
• Encourage your child to talk about and show a math problem in a way that makes sense (i.e., draw a picture or use material like macaroni). 
• When your child is solving math problems ask questions such as: Why did you...?  What can you do next? Do you see any patterns?  Does the answer make sense? How do you know? This helps to encourage thinking about mathematics. 
• Connect math to everyday life and help your child understand how math influences them (i.e. shapes of traffic signs, walking distance to school, telling time). 
• Play family math games together that add excitement such as checkers, junior Monopoly, math BINGO and UNO. 
• Computers + math = fun! There are great computer math games available on the internet that you can discover with your child. 
• Talk with your child’s teacher about difficulties he/she may be experiencing. When teachers and parents work together, children benefit.