How to build productive relationships in math education  I wasn’t taught this way. I can’t help my child! These are common refrains from today’s parents and guardians, who are often overwhelmed, confused, worried, and frustrated about how to best support their children with what they see as the "new math." The problem has been compounded by the shift to more distance learning in response to a global pandemic. Partnering With Parents in Elementary School Math provides educators with long overdue guidance on how to productively partner and communicate with families about their children’s mathematics learning. It includes reproducible surveys, letters, and planning documents that can be used to improve the home-school relationship, which in turn helps students, parents, teachers, and education leaders alike. Readers will find guidance on how to:    · Understand and empathize with what fuels parents’ anxieties and concerns · Align as a school and set parents’ expectations about what math instruction their children will experience and how it will help them · Communicate clearly and productively with parents about their students’ progress, strengths, and needs in math  · Run informative and fun family events  · support homework  · Coach parents to portray a productive disposition about math in front of their children Educators, families, and students are best served when proactive, productive, and healthy relationships have been developed with each other and with the realities of today′s math education. This guide shows how these relationships can be built.

Table of Contents:
Praise Pages About the Authors Acknowledgements Introduction Why This Book Now? Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Coronavirus Epidemic Examining Your Core Beliefs What Role Have You Played? What is a Parents Role in Their Child′s Mathematics Learning? How to Use This Book The Goal and Structure of This Book APPLY IT! Stepping Into Parents′ Shoes Asking Parents About School Communication What Parents Do and Why What Can We Learn? Putting It All Together Frequently Asked Questions Apply It! Teacher Activity Apply It! Leader Activity Understanding What Parents Need to Know About Today′s Math What Parents Really Need to Know About Today′s Math Math Instruction Evolves...Just Like Everything Else Mathematics is Not a Gene We Prepare Students for the Future, Not Today What Parents Really Need to Know About Their Child′s Math Putting It All Together Frequently Asked Questions Apply It! Teacher Activity Apply It! Leader Activity Planning Effective School-wide Mathematics Communication The Systemic Problem The Determining Roles of All Stakeholders Clarifying Roles of Leaders, Teachers, and Other Educators Clarifying Roles of Parents Crafting and Communicating Consistent School-wide Policies Establishing Homework Policies Communicating Grading Policies Getting Buy-In and Commitment from All Stakeholders Putting It All Together Frequently Asked Questions Apply It! Teacher Activity Apply It! Leader Activity Exploring How to Communicate with Parents About Math What Makes Written Communication With Parents Effective? Write So They Can Read It Write So They Want to Read It Relate to What Parents Know Communicate Frequently Tools For Communication and When to Use Them Traditional Communication Digital Communication Putting it All Together Frequently Asked Questions Apply It! Teacher Activity Exploring What to Communicate to Parents About Math Reaching Parents-at-large Schoolwide Beginning of Year Letter Homework Communication from School Level to Parents Mid-Year Homework Survey Reaching Parents-as-a-class Beginning of Year Survey Beginning of Year Letter from the Teacher Unit Preview Letters Weekly Letters Mid-Year and End-of-Year Surveys from Teacher Reaching Parents-as-individuals Putting It All Together Frequently Asked Questions Apply It! Teacher Activity Apply It! Leader Activity Hosting Parent Events Parent Experiences Non-Math Specific Events Back to School Nights Parent-Teacher Conferences Math-Specific Events Family Math Nights Parent Math Nights Family Math Days and Mornings Parent Book Clubs Mystery Mathematicians Putting It All Together Frequently Asked Questions Apply It! Teacher Activity Apply It! Leader Activity Conclusion: Shifting the Narrative Our Top 8 Ways to Support Parents in Mathematics References Index