Helping Your Child with Eureka Math (Common Core Math Homework)

We originally wrote this post about “common core” math homework in 2014. The national common core standards were new at the time. And parents were panicking.

If we’d known then what we know now… that adjusting and adapting and figuring new things out would be the defining feature of parenting in the 2020s… we’d probably still have struggled. This is NOT how we were taught math.

If you’re my age, your parents probably told you about learning “new math” in the 1960’s. Is this the next new math? And is newer better?

What is Eureka math, anyway?

Eureka math is a curriculum. Here in Montgomery County, Maryland it replaced the math portion of “curriculum 2.0” in 2019-2020.

This curriculum was created to help students reach the common core standards. (The common core standards define the goals for math education in the U.S.)

A curriculum is basically a recipe. It is a series of steps teachers take students through. To master the skills defined in the common core standards.

Those workbooks the school sent home? Math cookbooks. In which your child will make every recipe by the end of the year.

So why is it so fast? This is the main criticism of Eureka math. Along with “why is it is so slow?”

It seems faster because it is. The common core is a higher standard than what we had before. Eureka math aims to teach our kids more than what we learned at their age.

It does this by shifting the focus. Away from teaching add, subtract, multiply, divide. To teaching problem solving skills.

But why?

To make the transition to high school and college math easier.  These skills are the building blocks of higher level math.

This is good news for parents. It frees us from having to know the answers! But it asks something new of us.   

I’m going to need some parenting help here…

This new approach is about learning to problem solve. A skill that will help your child in more than just math class.

So how do you help them figure it out?

First, you might need to help them with some emotions.

The Eureka Math curriculum prescribes that kids do a problem set, an “exit ticket” and homework every day. And those are in separate workbooks.

For kids who learn at a different pace or struggle with paper and pencil tasks, that can feel like a LOT. And for teachers who are learning to teach it, it can feel restricting or limiting.

Our emotions about Eureka Math trickle down to our kids. If we are overwhelmed, they become overwhelmed too. If you’re starting from a place of overwhelm, try our Big Job Mountain exercise before you get started.

Tips from a Therapist for Anxious Kids and Teens

1. Ask, don’t answer.   Asking questions engages your child in solving the problem himself. 

   Try these:

   • Have you seen a problem like this before?

   • What strategies did your teacher use during math time today?

   • What strategies could you use to find the answer?

   • Are there any hints in the directions?

   • Who could help you remember what to do?

2. Count on the teacher.   Is your child getting the wrong answers? Forgetting which strategies to use?

   Let him ask the teacher tomorrow. Put a post-it on the homework. Or set an alarm for class time to remind him.   

   If your child isn’t ready to ask on her own, drop the teacher a quick note.   Just to say that your child might need some more help with yesterday’s math work. Trust the teacher to take it from there.

3. Address the emotions.  This is a chance to teach your child emotional regulation. Combine these strategies for best results.

   • Be open about how you handle your own overwhelm.   Show your child that you’re taking deep breaths. And talking kindly to yourself.

   • Offer ideas for productive breaks.

     1. Do you think some exercise would help?   (Shooting hoops, jumping rope, swinging, and climbing can help the body to regulate. And bring an overwhelmed or tired brain back online).

     2. Let’s listen to some fun music. Or draw a picture.

   • Eliminate negative self talk.   Make a list of the “mean” things your child is saying to herself when she’s frustrated. Help her rip up the list, throw it away, or yell “that’s not true!” at the page.

   • Practice a growth mindset.   Replace the negative self talk. Write what it will really take to solve the problem. Try “I’ll be able to do this after a few more lessons from the teacher.” Or “This is going to take some work, but I think I can figure it out.”

My child is still anxious and stressed.

For further help getting past an attack of the “I can’ts” try our Big Job Mountain worksheet. Learn how to use it here. Get it and the rest of our online school toolkit by signing up for our monthly newsletter.

If homework time still causes major meltdowns at home, seek the help of a therapist.  We’re here to help you understand your child’s specific needs and make a plan to decrease the stress!