Some of the simplest things in life are also the most difficult.
For instance…
Lose weight? Simple. Eat less; exercise more.
Have more money? Simple. Spend less this month than you spent last month.
Read a book every month? Simple. Divide the number of pages in the book by the number of days in the month and read that many pages every day.
These may be ridiculously simple, but they’re not easy. Millions of people struggle with those first two goals alone.
And so it is often with success in math. These ideas may not seem groundbreaking, but the key is consistency.
It’s the act of doing the small things, repeatedly, that brings the result we want.
Let’s get started!
- Decide.
Decide now if passing math is going to be a top priority for the next few months.
Decide once. Don’t halfway commit to it.
Go all in, recognizing that if you commit for a short time now, there will be longterm benefits later (including not having to repeat the class because your teen passed!).
Communicate this decision to your whole household (siblings, Grandma, the dog😊). Having everyone on board will make a difference.
2. Lean in.
Recognize that this is not going to be easy. If it was, you wouldn’t be reading this now.
Leaning in means that you’re going to push through and do the hard things because you’re looking ahead to what’s coming (passing this class!).
3. Start small.
Set a goal that’s achievable in a relatively short time.
Make sure it involves a specific action.
Example 1: Do the first 2 problems of the homework in the next 10 minutes. (adjust based on your teen, the class, and type of problems)
Example 2: Complete the entire homework assignment for 3 days in a row.
4. Set boundaries.
Help your teen set up a good habit of practicing math each day.
Make a guideline that homework has to be done by a certain time in the evening. (Be specific about the time and be firm…with a little flexibility because, of course, life happens.)
Or…
Make a guideline that it has to be done before a certain preferred activity can happen (like access to electronics/phone/video games/social media).
This is Parenting 101, so I’m going to let you handle this part.
My point is that practicing the math is the primary way that you learn how to do math. It’s also the scariest part for most students who struggle.
In other words, students will often work hard to avoid the thing that will make it better.
Setting good boundaries is a well known tool for productivity, and it is one your teen can really see the benefits of using.
5. Daily.
Practice the math.
Have your teen teach you something from class that day.
You realize how well you understand something when you have to teach it to someone else.
Pick a problem from their notes (or have your teen choose the problem). They may need to use the notes to teach it to you, and that’s okay!
Set a reminder (such as an alarm on your phone) so that you’ll remember to do this.
6. Physically look at your teen’s homework.
When your teen says the homework is done, visually look over it.
Rarely will there just be a few answers on a complete homework assignment.
Most of the time, there will be lots of work shown, often with a good bit of erasure marks.
Ask a question like, “What was the easiest part of the assignment?” or “Which part was confusing?”
And of course listen to what your teen says!😄
7. Use resources.
Often, your student is going to want to hear the lesson again…or in a different way than it was taught in class.
AlgebraStudent.com has lots of free instructional videos and of course YouTube has them, too.
Find a teacher that makes sense to your student and return to that teacher first.
It’s great to find one person amidst all of the thousands of channels to select from.
8. Set things in motion so that you’ll consistently provide the right amount of support for your teen. Set alarms, put reminders on the calendar, etc.
9. Acknowledge small wins–passed the first quiz of the year? Celebrate! Completed math homework every day this week? Wahoo!
10. Teachers can be a great resource! Your teen’s teacher likely offers before or after school tutoring for students who are working hard in class but still struggling. Often 5-10 minutes of one-on-one instruction is all it takes to make a big difference.
11. Pay someone: If your teen’s teacher isn’t a good option for extra help, consider hiring a tutor who specializes in students who struggle with math…you’ll probably want to steer clear of tutors who emphasize SAT/ACT prep, IB tutoring, or similar areas of expertise. Their focus is likely on accelerating learning for students who want to advance. Different strategies are necessary for students who just need to pass Algebra!
12. Pray. For families of faith, this is just a reminder to continually pray for your teen, in all areas of life, including academics. God is personal and cares for each of us and our daily, normal, sometimes mundane lives. Pray that the Lord will work through your teen.
If you’re not a family of faith, I put this one last for your benefit! I didn’t want to start it off with this and risk you not reading the rest of the ideas! Obviously you can skip this one if it doesn’t apply to you. I’d enjoy talking to you about faith if you have thoughts, ideas, or questions. Email me anytime at mrskennedy@algebratstudent.com.
*This is a very parent-focused guide…if your teen is ready and willing to take on the responsibility of implementing these steps independently, then by all means, LET THEM! That is the goal!
However, if passing math is a longtime struggle, these steps are designed to make the process easier as the parent guides the student.
Once your teen has success in this math class, he or she is sooooo much more likely to have success in future math classes! That’s when they’re more likely to “take the reins” and drive their own path to success in math.
Looking for a student-focused book? Click here to receive a free workbook for your teen.
I wish you all the best.
