About MathParents

Welcome to MathParents!

We are an online resource to support caregivers in their efforts to help their children in grades K-8 succeed in math.

We have been working in the math education space collectively for over 50 years, and one thing remains constant. When we talk to caregivers, we hear the uncertainty in how you can help your children because of the unfamiliarity with the “new” approaches to learning math that are different from the way you were taught.

In addition to the way their kids are being taught, we also hear many caregivers saying things like, “I’m not a math person” and “I never was good at math.”

Our mission is to help you switch this narrative so that you feel empowered to help your kid build confidence and to develop a positive attitude towards math learning.

To do this, we have built this space to support adults in learning the math people use every day, which is exactly the math students learn in elementary school. This can help you see how math learning is something that can happen across your life, and that helping others is something you CAN do.

What Drives Us

Our three core beliefs

All people are math people!

Everyone at MathParents shares the fundamental belief that everyone can do mathematics. There is no such thing as a “math gene,” and all humans living on our planet share an inherent ability to think mathematically. Many people, however, experience mathematics in school as unapproachable. Many of us have received negative feedback or had traumatic experiences within mathematics classrooms. We are here to tell you that these experiences do not need to define you. You CAN do this. You can talk about mathematics, and you can help others learn. In fact, you can learn together.

Math isn’t always easy, and that is okay!

Shifting your mindset in this way isn’t going to be easy. In fact, you’ll be working to disrupt what may be generational math trauma. Do you recall an adult in your life telling you that they hated math or weren’t good at math? Did you have a teacher who told you math was hard and it was okay to not be good at it? While it is true that math isn’t easy, most things worth doing aren’t easy. Math is a part of our world - of nature - and of our lives. It is okay if something takes longer to understand, and speed does not equal intelligence. Math takes time and persistence. Struggle is how we learn, and this is the message you can share.

Expect mistakes and missteps, then help your kids embrace them!

By sharing the message that math won’t always be easy, you can help others develop a productive disposition about math. Focus on a growth mindset to help yourself and others push through discomfort and difficulties. Focus on learning from mistakes and embrace this powerful form of learning. The more you can model this type of behavior, the more you will help your student find success.

You can help your child learn math.

Clear, self-paced lessons for parents, starting at just $5/month.

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