Among parents and students, few subjects cause as much anxiety as mathematics. Students may get lost and feel like they don’t understand the concepts. Parents may discover they’ve forgotten the math they learned in school and feel like there is little they can do to help.

While it may be true that your child’s math experience is not your math experience, it is still important to be involved. Parental involvement in math education can go a long way. At the very least, parents can support their kids emotionally throughout their education.

Parents who have some math background can also help with student learning directly, especially if they are homeschooling. Regardless of their educational role, any parent can help guide their child along their academic journey by helping them choose math subjects appropriate to their skill level.

Parental Involvement in Math Education for Young Students

Parental involvement and encouragement can greatly impact high school students’ achievement, but it all begins in primary school. Young students need to feel comfortable and competent with basic mathematical foundations before moving on to more advanced topics in secondary school.

The most important early skills include:

• Counting
• Adding and subtracting
• Multiplying and dividing
• Using and calculating fractions and decimals
• Identifying shapes
• Calculating area and perimeter

For the majority of young learners, these simple skills are tackled between kindergarten and 5th grade and lay the groundwork for student success in middle and high school math courses.

Navigating Your Teen’s Math Abilities

One common problem many parents face is their students’ increasingly outpacing their own math abilities. This is not because of any inherent difference in ability. Rather, it is because much of high school-level math revolves around advanced concepts most people rarely use as adults.

Other than filing taxes, calculating tips, or using geometry for home renovation projects, most high-school graduates who pursue careers outside the math, science, or engineering disciplines tend to use math relatively infrequently.

Often, parents will experience a pang of anxiety when they discover their kids are studying math facts and concepts they either never learned or have long forgotten. If you find yourself in this situation, don’t be discouraged! There is still much you can do to contribute to your students’ mathematical success. 

1. Consider, for example, learning or re-learning those math concepts yourself. While you may believe this is too much of a time commitment, you may be surprised by how easily and quickly you can pick up the material–especially if you were taught the same material in high school. If you can catch up with your students, you’ll be better equipped to help them absorb the concepts. 
2. If you homeschool, try to find friends, acquaintances, or other homeschool parents who can assist you. For homeschoolers especially, it may be helpful to join a homeschooling group. One parent from the group may specialize in teaching mathematics and trade classes with you.
3. Some students are unusually talented and motivated in mathematics. They may pick up concepts easily and find themselves outpacing the typical high school curriculum. For these students, it’s important to encourage their interests, help them find useful learning materials, and look for like-minded teens and young adults with whom they can connect.

Guiding Your Teen’s Course Selection

Your student’s path through math education will vary based on their academic and career goals.

Many students have no interest in careers involving extensive math knowledge, such as science, technology, or engineering. In this case, it’s OK if they prefer not to pursue advanced mathematics. They can always catch up later by studying and learning math independently if they change their minds.

Regardless of academic path and career aspirations, students should have a general working knowledge of mathematical concepts–even if they never plan on using them later in life. The need to understand basic geometry, the order of operations, fractions, decimals, and more does arise from time to time, and at least understanding how to solve a problem in these situations is helpful. 

There are other reasons, too: 

• Learning math trains the mind to think logically and abstractly. Think of it like lifting weights for your brain.
• Students may change their career goals over time and later find they do want to pursue a math-oriented career.
• Over the last ten years, employers increasingly sought out employees with competent math skills due to increasing demands for data, statistics, and technology innovations, and careers in STEM fields are expected to continue growing for the foreseeable future.  

Your teen should already have a basic knowledge of arithmetic and geometry from primary school. Familiarity with certain higher-level math concepts can be helpful in various real-world settings. Here are some examples:  

• Algebra to calculate tax returns, manage finances and budgets, and project cost estimates
• Trigonometry to calculate large distances and tall heights
• Probabilistic reasoning to manage risk and make effective decisions
• Calculus to determine the impact of interest rates on fluctuating balances

These topics are commonly featured in the math sections of standardized achievement tests like the SAT. 

Particularly advanced math students may want to tackle college-level concepts. Courses typically taken at this level include:

• Group Theory
• Linear Algebra
• Advanced Calculus
• Set Theory and Topology
• Number Theory

When helping your teens find the courses that match their mathematical abilities, you’ll want to begin by identifying whether your teen is behind, ahead, or on track. 

It’s not uncommon for a middle school student to be behind when it comes to math. They may still struggle with fractions or calculating areas. In this case, helping them master these ideas is critical before they move on to algebra and trigonometry. Learning math is like building a house; if the foundation is unstable, nothing else can be built.

For students who are ahead of the curve, the challenge is keeping them engaged. If your math skills aren’t as advanced as your teen’s, it can help to find someone on their level to help. Fortunately, students who are highly interested in mathematics are often self-starters and can find relevant resources online.

Students on track with their math skills should continue on their regular trajectory. Assuming they are comfortable with the foundational skills, they can approach algebra and trigonometry next. This is often designated “Pre-Calculus”.

Parental Involvement in Math Education for Traditional School Students

Traditional public and private schools have advantages and disadvantages regarding math education. 

On the plus side, your student’s teacher is expected to be qualified and competent, with knowledge of subjects like calculus or trigonometry, even if you aren’t. On the minus side, parental involvement can be more difficult if you are not in the classroom. You may have to take a more indirect role to continue participating actively. Here are a handful of tips to help your students succeed in traditional school settings:

Whenever possible, avoid negative parental involvement, such as openly criticizing the teacher or obstructing or undermining their work. Parental involvement plays a major role in classroom behavior, and your guidance at home can influence your teen’s interactions with their teachers.

One of the best ways to stay involved positively is to provide emotional support and stability for your student’s math journey. They may struggle at times, so let them know you have their back if a test goes bad or they struggle to understand a concept. Emotional support positively influences children’s behavior, which can help with student performance.

Also, be sure to attend parent-teacher conferences and parent-teacher meetings. These events provide a glimpse into the classroom environment and help keep parents involved in school functions. Consider virtual family-teacher meetings if time or distance is a factor.

If you can, help your students with their math homework…but don’t just give them the answers. Instead, ask your students guiding questions to help them figure it out themselves: What does the problem ask for? What do you already know? When have you seen a similar problem before?

Conclusion

Family involvement outside the classroom is a major factor in a student’s academic performance. One meta-analysis found a positive correlation between parental involvement and student achievement. Whether you homeschool or send your students to traditional school, you should strive to participate actively whenever you can.

Regardless of the educational setting, parental involvement can be a key component for student success in mathematics. Whether your child is homeschooled or attends a traditional school, there are various ways you can support their math journey and help them achieve their academic goals.

Want to learn more about parental involvement in high school math? Check out this episode of The Demme Learning Show, where host Gretchen Roe explores the role of parents in high school math with a middle school/high school math teacher!