Helping with maths and numeracy

Maths today is about understanding number patterns, not learning by rote.

Consider the following when helping your child with maths.

• Stay positive. Don’t say, ‘I was bad at maths too’. It can lower your child’s expectations of themselves.
• Don’t jump in and tell your child the answer or how to get to the answer. Ask: ‘What is the question asking you?’ or ‘How should we go about working this out?’
• Practise times tables. Children who know their times tables are more confident with their numbers and maths in general. There is always more than one way to get the right answer. Children are encouraged to work things out in more than one way, as a way to check their answer.
• Talk to the teacher if your child needs more help with their homework.

Need more help with maths?

For practical tips and activities you can do at home, explore the NSW Department of Education’s Everyday maths resources for parents and carers — full of ideas to connect number and problem-solving with everyday life.

To support learning about key maths concepts and vocabulary, you can also point families to the Mathematics K–10 Syllabus glossary, which explains terms used in classroom learning and assessments.