Mathematics Professional Series Involving Parents and Communigy — Pre-Algebra   Parental Involvement Parents teach their children all the time. They teach language to their infants, and they teach their young children not to talk to strangers. They read to their sons and daughters and, in the process, help them learn how to read and write. They even teach their children how to count and use basic arithmetic facts. But as their sons and daughters reach middle school and high school, many parents are not sure how to proceed with mathematics. Many are intimidated by their own perceived weakness in the subject. Yet most parents want to help their sons and daughters succeed in mathematics so that they may acquire the skills necessary to get a good job. The goal of parental involvement in mathematics is not to teach specific concepts, but to help students develop curiosity and an enthusiasm for solving problems. In the process, parents can extend the learning that takes place in school. You can provide support in three ways: by communicating with parents about what is happening in your classroom, by providing take-home activities for students and parents to complete, and by inviting parents and other members of the community to school to share information with the students. The parents of your students can become your biggest allies in the classroom. How Parents Can Help at Home When parents meet with teachers, they often ask what they can do to motivate their children in mathematics. Here are some things parents can do to build a strong understanding of and confidence in mathematics in their children. Share life experiences and problem-solving strategies with their children. Demonstrate the value of mathematics by having children solve problems that are real and relevant to their lives, such as large item family purchases and the family budget, equitable home task assignments, cost of a college education and financial benefits, and measurement of all kinds. Provide time, space, and the necessary tools for mathematics homework, including a calculator. Encourage their children to join mathematics clubs in school and in the community. Do home mathematics projects that could be developed into projects for science/mathematics fairs. Purchase puzzles, games, books, and models to be used by the entire family. Ask questions that have more than one answer. Show children that there are many ways to solve problems. Have children draw pictures and diagrams to represent problem situations. Monitor children's work and stress the importance of checking homework. Value education and reward accomplishment. Take-Home Activities One of the ways that you can involve parents in the mathematics classroom is to provide challenging, useful mathematics activities that children and parents can do together. Here is a sample activity appropriate for pre-algebra students and their parents. Pre-Algebra Activity: Tiombe's Decision Tiombe was in the tenth grade when she finally decided to ask her mother for a home computer to help with her homework. The computer she wanted cost $1,500. Tiombe realized that her mother would ask her to find a job to help with the purchase because finances at home were tight. So, she found a part-time job at a local electronics store where she could get a 15% discount on the computer. Her pay averaged $55 per week, and her expenses were $25 per week. The store manager told Tiombe that she could purchase the computer by paying cash or through an employee credit plan of 20% down and with payments of $50 a month for 24 months. Tiombe's mother explained that she could only contribute $50 to the down payment and $20 per month to the payments. Tiombe thought that she could save her money for the down payment and make the payments for two years with the money she made, but she wasn't sure if she should use the credit plan. Tiombe prepared a purchase plan to share with her mother. What plan would you propose if you were Tiombe? Explain your reasons for the plan you have developed. Answer: Depending on the conditions that the students feel are important, answers will vary. Tiombe needs to look at how soon she needs the computer. She will either save money or have the computer sooner. If she uses the payment plan, she will have the computer after almost 7 weeks (time needed to save for down payment) and she will be paying $180 over the $1275 that the computer would cost her if she were to pay cash. If she pays cash, she will be paying exactly the $1275 but it will take her almost 33 weeks (a little over 7 months) to save the cash to buy the computer. More Information For more information on how you can include parents and community members in your classroom, see "Involving Parents and the Community in the Mathematics Classroom," part of the Glencoe Mathematics Professional Series.