Introduction

A good source of tips for parents of children in the primarygrades is the Ministry of Education’s booklet Helping YourChild Learn Math: A Parent’s Guide, 2003, which is availableon the ministry’s website, at www.edu.gov.on.ca.In working with parents and community members,effective educators take responsibility for:• motivating and inspiring others by sharing theirvision of teaching and learning;• creating opportunities for students to share theirlearning with their classmates, their parents, andthe community;• inviting parents and community members to sharetheir knowledge and skills in supporting classroomand school activities (Ontario College of Teachers,1999).DEVELOPING HOME-SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPSWhen educators are supportive, responsive, and welcoming, they encourage parentsto become partners in their child’s education. There are several ways to build homeschoolpartnerships and increase parental involvement. Some suggestions include:• determining the child’s prior home experiences with mathematics;• working and communicating effectively with families through informal conversations,home visits, and parent-teacher conferences;• being sensitive to the individual circumstances of parents and families;• suggesting activities for parents, such as games that allow children to practiseand to experience success with mathematics;• helping parents understand what is taught in today’s mathematics classroomand why (e.g., by sending home a brief description of the concepts and strategiesinvolved in each new math unit);• sharing with parents their knowledge, informed by current research, about howchildren learn math and about best practices in mathematics instruction;• providing parents with information about their children’s progress on an ongoingbasis;• preparing take-home math kits that may include activities, books, software, andmanipulatives focused on a particular topic;Achieving and Sustaining Improvement 19