A parent can easily make a difference between a
child getting a math grade of an “A” or “B” verses a math grade of
“C” or “D”. The number one
reason a child does not score well in math is that they don’t think to check the
answers. You can prove this by looking at the math papers in your child’s
Thursday folder. What you will find is that almost every wrong answer is a
problem your child knows how to work. Ask them to work the wrong answers. You
will see that they know exactly how to do it.
You can’t make them check their work. For that matter, you can’t even make them want to improve their grades. However, you can train them to “remember to check their answers on math papers”. Follow this simple plan.
STEP 1: Have your child bring home their math
homework every day for you to check.
STEP 2: Each time you find a
wrong answer write the number of the
problem on a secret piece of paper.
STEP 3: Tell your child how many
wrong answers they have and make them find them by checking every problem on
their paper. By the end of a single school year your child will develop the
habit of checking the answers on every math paper just to get you off their
back. Don’t be surprised if your child becomes an “A” student because of
your effort.