Elementary Math for Families
Our Vision
Our vision is to cultivate a collaborative partnership between families, educators, and the community to empower all students to develop a deep understanding, confidence, and love for mathematics. Through meaningful, accessible, and responsive family engagement, we aim to create supportive home-school connections that enhance student learning, promote equitable access to resources, and celebrate diverse mathematical experiences. Together, we will foster a shared commitment to mathematical excellence, lifelong problem-solving skills, and preparation for the future of every student.
"...the way we learned math was not set up our students today for the skills necessary to persevere, problem solve, and reason in their future."
-Kreisberg & Beyranevand
- Welcome
- Grade-Level Resources
- A Day in the Life
- Growth Mindset
- Activities to Build Math Skills
- Family Math Links
Welcome
Hello families,
As we jump into the second semester, the Elementary Math Team wants to thank you for your continued support and partnership. We appreciate all you do to encourage learning at home and look forward to working together to help students grow in math this semester.
As the weather cooperates, remember to take advantage of those nice days by getting outside and engaging in hands-on math learning. Simple activities make a big impact! For example:
- Count steps, jumps, or laps while walking or playing outside
- Look for shapes, patterns, and symmetry in nature and on playground equipment
- Practice addition, subtraction, or multiplication using rocks, sticks, or sidewalk chalk
- Measure distances, compare lengths, or time activities like races or bike rides
Don’t forget—our Elementary Math webpage includes helpful links, games, and family-friendly resources you can use anytime to support math learning at home.
Thank you for being such an important part of your child’s math journey. We’re excited for a strong second semester ahead!
Warm regards,
The TPS Elementary Math Team
Email Us
Grade-Level Resources
Grade-Level Resources
Explore helpful tools and guides to support your child’s math learning at home. The enVision Family Resources include vocabulary support, homework help, video tutorials, and tips to better understand the strategies your child is using in class—all aligned to what they’re learning each day.
A Day in the Life
Daily Schedule
Core Math Block
enVision Math
60 minutes
Intervention Block
Zearn and Small Groups
30 minutes
Core Math Block
Exploring Math
This is where the days lesson is introduced to students through problem-based learning, encouraging students to explore and discuss strategies before formal instruction.
Visual Learning Bridge
A short, animated video that helps students connect their problem-solving strategies to clear, visual models, reinforcing key math concepts from the lesson.
Guided Practice
Provides students with scaffolded problems that reinforce the day’s lesson, allowing them to apply new strategies with teacher support.
Independent Practice
Allows students to apply what they've learned on their own through a variety of problems that build fluency, deepen understanding, and help teachers identify student learning.
Math Intervention
math small groups
Why Math Small Groups Matter for Your Child
Math small groups are a powerful part of your child’s learning. They provide targeted, personalized support so every student can grow in their understanding of math—whether they need extra help, are right on track, or are ready for a challenge.
Here’s why small groups are important:
1. Personalized Instruction:
In a small group, teachers can focus on exactly what your child needs. Whether it's reviewing a tricky concept or pushing deeper into problem-solving, instruction is tailored to each student.
2. More Student Talk = More Learning
Smaller groups mean more opportunities for your child to explain their thinking, ask questions, and work through problems out loud—skills that build confidence and deepen understanding.
3. Safe Space to Make Mistakes
Students often feel more comfortable taking risks in a small group. This helps them learn from mistakes and build a stronger foundation in math.
4. Ongoing Check-Ins
Teachers use small groups to check on student progress in real time. This helps catch misunderstandings early—before they grow into bigger learning gaps.
5. Equity in Learning
Every child learns differently. Small groups help ensure all students—regardless of their starting point—get the time and support they need to succeed.
Math small groups are not just about helping students who are behind—they’re about helping every student thrive. It’s one of the most effective ways we support your child’s success in math.
We’re excited to let you know that your child will begin participating in teacher-led math small groups starting September 22, 2025.
What to Expect:
- Every student will meet with their math teacher in a small group at least once per week, and some students may meet up to three times depending on their needs.
- These small group sessions are designed to reinforce recent math lessons using materials that align directly with the standards being taught.
Digital Math Intervention
Zearn Math is an online learning platform that supports students by giving them personalized help with the exact math concepts they're learning in class. It's not just extra practice - it's a targeted intervention tool used by teachers to help students catch up, keep up, and move ahead with confidence.
How It Works
- Zearn breaks down math into short, engaging lessons with guided instruction, interactive practice, and built-in support.
- If a student struggles with a concept, Zearn offers "Boosts" -- short, just-in-time lessons that help fill in gaps in understanding.
- Teachers can assign specific Zearn lessons that match the skills students are working on in small group or whole-class instruction.
Why It Helps
- Immediate feedback helps students correct mistakes right away.
- Visual models and interactive tools help make abstract math more concrete.
- Students can work at their own pace, building confidence as they master one step at a time.
- It allows teachers to track progress and provide targeted, in-person support when needed.
Supporting Students Beyond the Classroom
- Zearn can be accessed at school and at home, so students can get extra help and continue practicing outside of the classroom when needed.
The Goal
- Zearn is one of the ways we make sure every child gets what they need to succeed in math. Whether they need a little extra support or are ready for more challenge, Zearn helps them grow their math understanding - step by step.
September 2, 2025
Students begin completing whole group Zearn lessons with their teachers.
- Teach students how to navigate the digital platform
- Model how to show your work when completing problems on the computer
September 8, 2025
Students will begin using Zearn independently with headphones and scrap paper, allowing them to move through lessons at their own pace. This personalized approach helps reinforce classroom instruction, offers targeted support when needed, and ensures each child can build confidence and understanding in math at a level that's right for them.
- Students should complete 3+ lessons each week
- Students should engage with Zearn a minimum of 90 minutes
What Parents Need to Know
The What and Why Behind Today’s Math Instruction
Let’s be clear—math hasn’t changed.
1 + 1 still equals 2.
WHAT: A Shift in How We Teach
Today’s math instruction focuses on helping students understand math, not just do it. That means:
- Emphasizing concepts, strategies, and reasoning, not just memorization.
- Creating student-centered classrooms where exploration and problem-solving come first.
- Using visual models and real-world examples to build deep, flexible understanding.
- We want students to make sense of math, not just follow steps they don’t understand.
WHY: The Research Is Clear
We teach this way because it:
- Improves learning outcomes for all students, not just a few.
- Aligns with brain-based research about how children develop and learn.
- Prepares kids for the future, where critical thinking, collaboration, and adaptability matter more than ever.
Top 3 Facts Every Parent Should Know About Today’s Math
- Math Instruction Evolves—Just Like Everything Else
- Phones, cars, and medicine have changed—and for good reason. The way we teach math is evolving too, because today’s world demands different skills than it did 30 years ago. We're building thinkers, not just calculators.
- Mathematics Is Not a Gene
- No child is “just not a math person.” All students can succeed in math with the right support and mindset. We focus on growth, effort, and understanding—not natural talent.
- We’re Preparing Kids for Tomorrow’s World
- Today’s jobs require more than memorizing formulas. We’re teaching students to collaborate, reason, and solve problems—skills that matter in any career path.
Just as the telephone evolved from a single-purpose device into a powerful tool for connection, creativity, and problem-solving, math instruction has undergone its own transformation. Alexander Graham Bell would be stunned to see that today’s phones function as computers, TVs, cameras, calculators, and more—proof that tools must evolve to remain relevant. The same is true for math instruction. What was once a rigid, procedural approach must now adapt to meet the needs of today’s learners. If instruction doesn't evolve, it risks becoming obsolete. Like the modern smartphone, effective math teaching must be dynamic, personalized, and built for real-world connection.
We Prepare Students for the Future, Not Today
It is important to remember that our job is not to teach kids math that they use today - it is to prepare them for the future. We need to anticipate the math that will be useful when kids enter the workforce and teach them the skills necessary to be successful later, not now.
The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report (2018) indicates that these traits are the top skills that future job seekers need:
- complex problem-solving
- critical thinking
- creativity
Whether students enter technical careers or college-track professions, having these enhanced skills will best prepare them for their future work life.
One way to prepare students to enter a world of problem-solving is to normalize struggle. Normalizing struggle means we encourage students to persevere through challenging tasks and we make our struggle visible. Children need to see that things don’t come easy; so we, as educators and parents, must model that for our students and children, then they will begin to own that thinking.
Resource: Partnering with Parents in Elementary School Math by Hilary Kreisberg & Matthew L. Beyranevand
Growth Mindset
Growth Mindset in Mathematics
A growth mindset in elementary math is important because it helps young students believe that they can improve their math skills through effort and practice. When children understand that mistakes are part of learning and that their brain grows by working through challenges, they become more confident, resilient, and willing to try new strategies—setting a strong foundation for future success in math.
The Growth Mindset Song
Activities to Build Math Skills
Activities to Build Math Skills
When families engage in math activities at home, they play a powerful role in supporting their child’s academic success. Research shows that positive parent involvement in mathematics builds confidence, deepens understanding, and helps children see math as meaningful and relevant to everyday life. Whether it's playing math games, cooking with measurements, or solving problems together, these experiences reinforce classroom learning and promote critical thinking skills. By creating a supportive environment for math at home, families can help reduce anxiety, spark curiosity, and foster a lifelong appreciation for mathematics.
32 materials you can find around the house to build math skills
| measuring cups | pom poms | berries | marbles |
| corks | egg cartons | clothes pins | measuring tape |
| measuring spoons | yarn | seeds | pencils |
| shells | plain wood blocks | divided plates | beads |
| containers | rulers | bowls | Lego bricks |
| muffin tins | nuts and bolts | coins | buttons |
| ice cube trays | poker chips | stopwatch | clocks |
| paper towel tubes | straws | serving trays | toothpicks |
Math Skills in everyday life
- Encourage explorative math play at home:
- build, measure, and compare structures made with different-sized cardboard boxes
- build and describe structures in a sandbox
- play jump-rope games or games like hopscotch, catch, and hide-and-seek
- Explore opportunities for your child to make connections with math in daily routines:
- estimating the distance to a nearby location
- measuring the time it takes to complete a chore
- talk with your child about the math connections
- Play games:
- board games/card games
- number cube (dice) games
- dominoes
- solve puzzles together
- Have conversations:
- ask your child to tell you what he or she did to try and win the game or solve the puzzle
- ask your child to tell you whether he or she would do the same thing next time
- ask them to give reasons why or why not
- Engage in role-play games such as "store" or "restaurant" with your child:
- one person can be the owner of the store or restaurant and the other person can be the customer
- pose grade-level and age-appropriate math problems for your child to solve
- Bake or cook together and follow directions for favorite recipes.
- Count by ls, 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s, 6s, and 7s.
- remember to consider the ability and grade level of your child to know where to begin and when to stop
- Count forward and count backwards, starting with different numbers.
- Sort a variety of items at home:
- toys, utensils, dishes, socks, mail, shoes, coloring tools, fabric, recyclables
- describe the sorting rule and try sorting the same item(s) again using a new rule
- Talk about math experiences in daily events:
- measuring laundry detergent
- packing a suitcase
- creating a grocery list
- setting an alarm clock
Family Math Links
Family Math Links
We know that kids love spending time watching TV, going online, or playing video games — so why not make that time both fun and educational? By choosing safe and engaging activities, you can help your child build important math skills while enjoying what they already love. Explore these family-friendly activities and educational websites designed to promote mathematical thinking and make learning a natural part of your everyday routine. Let's make math meaningful — and fun — together!
Educational Math Shows
Educational Math Games
More Math Activities
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