• Questions to ask when helping your child with homework

    • What is the problem about? Explain it to me in your own words.
    • Is there anything you did in class to help you get started?
    • Can you make a diagram or draw a picture?
    • Could there be any missing or extra information?
    • Can you solve a simpler version of the problem?
    • What have you already tried? What steps did you take? 
    • Can you tell me what you know so far?
    • What is the important information you need to solve the problem?
    • Can we break the problem down?
    • Is there a pattern?
    • Does the answer make sense?
    • Could there be more than one answer? How do you know?
    • Did you do all the parts of the problem?
    • Did you check the arithmetic?
    • Did you label your answers?
    • Did you show all your work?
    • What did you think you were supposed to learn from this homework?
    • What new questions or problems might you now pose and explore?

    Adapted from: Helping Your Child with Math at Home, Parker, 2006.