1. Make sure he understands the concept, or he’s facing the daunting challenge of memorizing meaningless rules and drills.

2. Teach her to write clearly and neatly. Tracing letters or writing on graph paper will improve her number writing.

3. Be around to refresh his memory or explain forgotten concepts.

4. Review math vocabulary to ensure she can define the skills she’s learning.

5. Promote putting down the calculator. Computing math problems in his head will reinforce concepts more quickly.

6. Check to make sure your child is approaching her homework properly. She should study the textbook and practice the sample problem before starting the assignment.

7. Encourage him to tackle more than just the assigned problems.

8. Approach word problems together. Suggest that she read aloud, repeat, and draw a picture of each problem.

9. Explain how math applies to real-life situations and challenge him to help you solve the math problems you encounter when you’re out together, such as figuring out how many apples to buy or calculating change. He’ll be more interested in mastering math if he realizes its value.

10. Does she really know it? If she can answer a basic math question within three seconds she’s mastered the concept. Try drills and flash cards to get her up to speed.