Maths can be a real headache for some children. How can you help your child with maths without redoing the lesson yourself? It depends on their level: you do not support a pupil in 2nd year of primary school the same way as a teenager in 4th year of secondary. Here are practical strategies, step by step.
How to help your child with maths: what changes with each level
As a parent, you play a key role, even if you do not feel “good at maths” yourself. Your main job is to create a setting where your child understands, practises and stays confident, rather than to explain every exercise.
That setting changes with age:
- in primary school, the goal is to lay solid foundations: numbers, the four operations, measurements;
- in secondary school, the subject becomes more abstract (algebra, functions, geometry with proofs) and calls for rigour;
- at every level, motivation and how your child handles mistakes matter as much as technique.
In primary school: building a solid foundation
Primary school is where children acquire the basics that largely shape their relationship with maths. A child who understands what numbers and operations mean finds the next topics much easier.
Understand before solving
Your child needs to know why we add, subtract, multiply or divide, not just how. This understanding helps them see maths as reasoning rather than a list of rules to apply.
For example, before reciting times tables, show them that 4 × 3 is the same as 3 + 3 + 3 + 3. The tables still have to be learnt by heart, but they start to make sense.
Use concrete objects
At this age, many children learn better with drawings and objects they can handle. A few simple strategies at home:
- share biscuits or pencils between several people to understand division;
- cut a pizza or a sheet of paper to see fractions;
- go shopping together: estimate the total, count the change;
- measure a table, weigh ingredients for a recipe.
Written calculation comes next, once your child has “seen” what the operation represents.
Treat mistakes as a step
Mistakes are part of learning maths. Instead of correcting straight away, ask your child how they worked it out. Often, they spot the step that went wrong themselves by explaining it out loud.
This habit, calmly looking for where the reasoning went off track, will serve them throughout their schooling.
Mental arithmetic, a little every day
A few minutes of mental arithmetic a day work better than one long session at the weekend. A card game, a board game with dice or a quick challenge in the car is enough. The aim is automatic recall, without pressure.
At the end of 6th year of primary school in French-speaking Belgium, maths is part of the CEB, the external exam set by the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles. To prepare for it calmly, read our article preparing your child for the CEB.
In secondary school: understanding and rigour
In secondary school, maths becomes more abstract and expectations rise. Mastering procedures is no longer enough: pupils must understand concepts and apply a rigorous method. You do not need to know the subject yourself to help; your role is mainly about organisation and attitude.
Connect the chapters
Secondary school maths builds on itself: algebra is used to solve equations, equations are used for functions, and functions come back in coordinate geometry. An old gap often blocks a new chapter.
If your child gets lost in a new topic, work out together what they need to be able to do first. Going back to a poorly understood basic often unblocks things faster than piling up exercises on the current chapter.
Practise regularly, with varied exercises
Knowing a formula is not enough: your child has to practise on different problems to learn when to use it. Encourage them to:
- redo the exercises from class without looking at the answers;
- vary the types of problems, including ones that require reasoning;
- work a little several times a week, rather than everything the night before the test;
- note their most frequent mistakes and reread them before the exam.
Write down every step of the reasoning
In secondary school, the answer alone is no longer enough. Pupils must show their working: the data, the chosen method, each calculation step, then the conclusion. This rigour helps them organise their ideas and earns marks, even when the final result is wrong.
At the end of 2nd year of secondary school in French-speaking Belgium, maths is also part of the CE1D. It is a useful benchmark to check that the basics of the first two years are in place.
Motivation: a key factor in getting through difficulties
A discouraged pupil makes little progress, even with the ability. To encourage a positive attitude towards maths:
- Celebrate progress, not just results. Praise your child when they overcome a difficulty or explain an idea they used to struggle with.
- Set short-term goals. “This week, we are going over fractions”, rather than “you have to pass the June exam”.
- Watch your words. A sentence like “I was bad at maths too” may sound reassuring, but it suggests that maths is a matter of talent.
- Stay available without controlling everything. A set time for homework, with you nearby, is often more reassuring than step-by-step help.
When should you turn to personalised support?
Some signs show that outside help would be useful: difficulties that persist despite your efforts, homework that turns into conflict, a visible loss of confidence, or gaps that pile up from one chapter to the next.
At My Sherpa, an educational advisor chooses a coach for your child who targets their sticking points, at home anywhere in Belgium or online. Depending on their level:
- private maths tutoring in primary school, to strengthen the basics;
- private maths tutoring in secondary school, to fill gaps and prepare for exams;
- homework help, to build a regular study routine.
Maths takes method, practice and support. With strategies suited to their level and your support, every child can make progress, become more independent and regain confidence.
