Helping with maths homework (even if it wasn’t your favourite subject)

For many parents, helping with maths homework can feel a little daunting.

The good news is that supporting your child with maths doesn’t require you to have all the answers. Often, the most powerful thing parents can do is help children build confidence and curiosity about maths.

Scitech Professional Learning Consultant Emily Grainger helps teachers become more confident and capable through the Lighthouse Maths program, and says that many of the same principles can help parents support their child’s maths learning at home.

Delivered by Scitech with support from Chevron Australia, Lighthouse Maths is changing the way maths is taught in classrooms around Western Australia, with some students achieving the equivalent of two years of maths learning in one.

Here are a few strategies from Lighthouse Maths that parents can try.

1. Start by modelling a growth mindset

Have you ever caught yourself saying: “I’m not good at maths”?

It’s a common phrase, but research shows parental attitudes and beliefs about maths are strongly related to children’s mathematical achievement and identity – in other words, how capable they believe they are.

If children hear adults talk about maths as something they were “never good at”, it can send the message that maths ability is fixed.

Instead, try reframing the conversation: “Maths is something we can get better at with practice.” This simple shift encourages a growth mindset – the belief that skills improve with effort, persistence and learning from mistakes.

A growth mindset is central to Lighthouse Maths. Over the course of the program, teachers often report a noticeable shift in student confidence. Students who once avoided maths begin working with peers to reason through ideas and persist with challenging problems.

When children see maths as something they can improve at, they’re more likely to stay engaged when problems become difficult..

2. Encourage problem-solving, not just answers

When a child is stuck, the instinct for many parents is to jump in and show them how to solve the problem. While that can feel helpful in the moment, it can prevent children from developing confidence in their own thinking.

It’s okay – and even beneficial – for children to struggle with a problem for a while. That struggle helps them build skills such as reasoning, persistence and resilience.

Productive struggle is an important part of the Lighthouse Maths program, where students regularly tackle challenging problems together. Working through obstacles leads to deeper learning and helps students build the confidence to attempt future challenges.

Instead of giving the answer, try guiding them with prompts such as:

• What do you notice about the question?

• Is there a smaller step we could start with?

• What strategy have you tried?

Giving children the space to think through problems helps strengthen their mathematical thinking and belief in their own abilities..

3. Show how maths is part of everyday life

A common question children ask is: “When will I ever use this?”

Research shows one of the strongest predictors of girls’ persistence in maths is whether they see it as useful in everyday life. Reinforcing the real-world value of maths at home can help all children, especially girls, feel that maths matters.

Maths appears in many everyday situations, from budgeting and following recipes to checking the weather or planning travel time. Activities like ballet, music and sport also rely on patterns, structure, timing and problem-solving.

Some simple ways to bring maths into daily life include:

• Calculating discounts during a sale

• Estimating the total before the dinner bill arrives

• Reading analogue clocks and thinking about how long tasks take

• Measuring or doubling ingredients while cooking

Lighthouse Maths teaches that maths is a way of thinking. It helps us break problems into steps, recognise patterns and use logic to find solutions – skills that are valuable across all areas of learning and life.

Highlighting the everyday value of maths helps children see maths as practical and relevant.

4. Make it fun

Maths learning doesn’t always have to happen at the kitchen table with a worksheet.

Games like Maths Scrabble or Numero can reinforce what children are learning while building confidence with numbers.

For younger children, activities like building with blocks help develop spatial and geometric thinking. Counting or addition songs can also help children commit new ideas to long-term memory.

Lighthouse Maths lessons are dynamic and engaging, with students out of their seats and working together. Teachers frequently report that students ask them when they can do another problem-solving lesson.

When maths is engaging and enjoyable, children’s motivation and confidence have room to grow.

Building confidence in maths

Programs like Lighthouse Maths are helping teachers across Western Australia strengthen maths teaching and build confidence in both educators and students. But parents also play a powerful role.

By modelling a positive mindset, encouraging problem-solving and connecting maths to everyday life, families can help children develop the confidence and curiosity they need to succeed.

Emily Grainger is a former primary school teacher and Scitech Professional Learning Consultant. For more information on Scitech’s professional learning programs for educators, visit their website.