Connecting Classroom and Home

Student success begins at home—or at least it would in an ideal world. So what can educators do to make the home/school connection a smooth one?

Some parents and students hear the word math and cringe. But often they forget how much math they already use each day. One way to help students overcome math anxiety is to focus on opening the lines of communication with their parents and caregivers.

You can see additional suggestions for helping students succeed at math on our previous blog post, 7 Steps to Successful Math Students (and Parents). Having supportive parents can go a long way to reducing math anxiety in students.

Excel Math Parent Letter
Click here to view

Keeping communication lines open with adults can help alleviate their own anxieties about school, math, and raising children in today's fast-paced world. Since Excel Math has a unique way for students to check their own answers, we provide a letter of explanation especially for parents. This letter explains our CheckAnswer system and asks parents to commit to working with and helping their student with math homework. The letter is available in English and Spanish; click here to view and download it.

According to recent studies, the more engaged adults become in their child's education, the greater the chances that child will succeed. When students feel supported, their confidence grows and they become self motivated.  We've pulled together some resources from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and our own Excel Math website to help you get the conversation started with parents and other adults involved in the lives of your students.

If you have a new student enter your math class mid-year, use the Excel Math Placement Test (in English and Spanish) to determine which grade level the student is ready to begin. Since Excel Math is available in Individual Student Sets (in a tablet form) for just $19.00 per student for the year, it's easy to customize the learning experience for new or transfer students. Classroom sets of Lesson Sheets (loose sheets in class sets of 10, 15, 22, 30 or 35) are even more cost-effective at only $11.00 per student for the entire year.

Click on the links below to access these resources:

• Excel Math Placement Test in English and Spanish
• Excel Math Parent/Teacher Conference Record
• Excel Math Score Distribution and Grade Chart
• Calling Home: Keeping in Contact with Students' Families
• What Families Can Do to Help Students Be Successful

The following links include tips and helps especially for families. These PDF files are available in English and Spanish. You can print them out for families of your students or simply send the links via email. If you have a class website, you may want to include the links on your own class page:

• Families and School
• Families and Homework
• Families and Support
• Excel Math Glossary
• Excel Math Homework Letter to Parents
• Figure This Family Corner

Have a favorite family or math resource you'd like to share? Leave a comment in the box below.

This week, administrators and educators from around the country are gathering in Nashville for the National Title I Conference. Excel Math will be there, too. If you're looking for some Title I resources, check out our recent blog posts here. Be sure to stop by Booth #521 at the Opryland Hotel and say hello to Bob and Brad.

New to Excel Math? Learn more and view sample lessons on our website: excelmath.com.