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Partnering With Parents in Elementary School Math
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Partnering With Parents in Elementary School Math
A Guide for Teachers and Leaders



February 2021 | 208 pages | Corwin
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. 

 
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

This book offers suggestions, strategies, and structures elementary teachers need and want to educate and inform parents. The authors’ work is comprehensive and very practical, and it thoughtfully provides teachers with incredible ready-to-use ideas for promoting math home-to-school connections.

Kristen Mangus
Mathematics Support Teacher, Howard County Public School System
Howard County, MD

Look no further for an invaluable resource as a reference or professional book study to enhance the parent/community engagement portion of your school’s mission or improvement plan. Kreisberg and Beyranevand have created a powerful how-to guide for teachers and school leaders to create and strengthen partnerships with parents, families, and caregivers in service of children’s mathematics learning.

Paul Gray
President of NCSM Leadership in Mathematics Education (2021–2023)
Dallas, TX
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Sample Materials & Chapters

Table of Contents

Introduction


Purchasing options

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or order@corwin.com.

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ISBN: 9781071810866
CAD$ 52.95

For large school/district orders, volume discounts, availability and shipping times contact customer service at 800-233-9936
or order@corwin.com.

For instructors

This book is not available as an inspection copy. For more information contact your local sales representative.

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