Math help: balancing the importance of math in everyday life

Math is all around us. When you buy a car, follow a recipe, decorate your home or budget your finances, you're using math principles. Skill in math can help us make important decisions and perform everyday tasks. The analytical thinking learned in elementary math - including algebra and geometry - helps in other subjects and in learning important life skills.

It is very important for your child to learn math in a step-by-step basis. Everything your child learns in the third grade will be essential to move on to more complex ideas in the fourth grade, and so on. Most parents want to help their children to learn each stage as easily as possible - even to be ahead of the process.

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This does not mean that you need to put pressure on your child. You can give math help from an early age by making math fun through stories and everyday situations. For example, ask your child: 'How many places do I need to set for dinner;' or, 'what shape is that box?' You can also give them math homework help, but avoid doing it for them.

By the time your child reaches third grade you might feel that you need help with their math yourself! If this is the case, or if you are worried about their progress, online math tutoring could be the right choice. You can find help and information for both of you on the internet, plus a wide range of online tutoring services which will fit in with your life and your child's other activities.