‘Can you write some sums for me, Mummy?’ said her son to Gill,
one of the mums on a recent #MathsForParents
course I was running.
We normally start each session sharing what has gone on
between sessions and Gill confided that before doing the course, this sort of
request would have filled her with dread. She would have begun to panic and she
would not have known what to do.
But now she did know what to do! Instead of feeling
dread, Gill was so delighted that her son had asked her.
In the sessions we had talked about simple things parents
can do to help their child with maths, and the things we had discussed in the
sessions came to mind and Gill creatively knew what to do.
Gill’s feelings are quite common. Many parents dread
their children asking them about maths. A recent survey, which was part of
National Numeracy’s Parental Engagement Project, found that 30% of parents said
that doing maths made them unhappy.
The good news is… But these things can change, as Gill’s
story shows.
I am so pleased! I can’t wait to hear back more of what
has happened.
Both of my Help
Your Child With Numeracy: Age Range 3-7, and, Help Your Child With Numeracy: Age Range 7-11, books have many
suggestions on how to use everyday situations to help your child.
The second edition of Help Your Child With Numeracy: Age Range 3-7, is about to be
published. I will keep you posted about when it is available.