THE IMPORTANCE OF SETTING HIGH STANDARDS Last January, on the first anniversary of his landmark No Child Left Behind Act, President Bush remarked on the importance of high educational standards for children. “Children respond to an atmosphere of high standards … they sense when we have faith in them, and they love to justify that faith,” he declared. But while any leader of reform can illuminate the need for such standards, it’s up to the parents at home to implement and reinforce them. Maintain those standards for your child’s mathematical education, and in turn optimize learning and self-confidence, by following these suggestions: Research your state’s academic standards for math. Most states establish mathematical standards that indicate what your child should know to succeed now and in the long-run. Although your child’s current knowledge is not as important as his willingness to learn, guidelines provide a base to begin setting goals. Link to information about your state’s educational and testing standards at www.edinformatics.com/parents/parents_guide.htm. Keep up with your child’s education. Because few children come to their parents with detailed information about what they’re learning, do the legwork yourself. Use what you know about statewide standards, assess the math curriculum, textbook, tools, homework and teaching style your child is exposed to each day. Maybe your child’s class relies too heavily on calculators, or perhaps his teacher has over-challenged him, causing him to resent the subject altogether. By doing your homework, you will be more informed about what to expect from your child. You’ll also set a strong example about the importance of education. Set goals with your child. Research shows that parents who are involved in education raise children who are more likely to get better grades, graduate from high school and attend college. Stay involved by helping your child set goals for his math “career.” The state standards are a good starting point, but if your child seems ready for algebra (despite being stuck in arithmetic), go ahead and encourage him. After the goals are set, check in with your child. Review his homework and tests, and continue to encourage his progress. By writing down clear goals with your child you’ll motivate him to succeed in math and also show the value you place on his education. Convey the relevance of math. A cultural epidemic of math anxiety seems to endure year to year. Keep your child focused on his goals and confident about his math abilities by reminding him of how important it is in the real world. Math has countless applications, from banking to nature to sports statistics, and pointing these out will help your child realize that it’s important to master the major math principles—and remember them beyond Friday’s geometry test. Developing these skills early will help both in higher education and in everyday life. If you set high standards for him in the classroom, he’ll set even higher ones for himself in the future. Maintain a positive attitude about math. If you happen to hate math, hide it. Whining about how much you detested math as a child will only send the message that it’s normal to dislike the subject and acceptable to not do well in it because “math is hard.” If you don’t want your child to adopt your helpless attitude toward math, adopt a different attitude yourself—that of competence, confidence and fun. Be sympathetic to the challenges he faces, but follow up with a positive can-do push. By Christine Tyler