TOLEDO, OH (Toledo News Now) - Frustrated parents say they're struggling to help their children with homework, mainly math they say looks nothing like the problems they worked as a student.
The homework is part of the new Common Core
, which ask students to dig deeper into a few number of topics.
We wanted to find ways to help parents better grasp the concepts, so we talked with the experts to learn tips and tricks for tackling Common Core.
Kevin Milks says he spends about 20 minutes a day helping his son Noah with his second grade homework. He says it's not that much different than the way he learned, but it was an adjustment.
"You can research online, 'Common Core.' You can understand some of the aspects they're trying to get to, some of the more abstract thought and just follow along," said Milks.
Milks says his son's teachers are also very helpful. He recommends parents who are struggling simply reach out.
That's exactly what fifth grade teacher Traci Morgan tells the parents of her students at Frank Elementary in Perrysburg.
"If their child is struggling at home, let them bring the paper back to me incomplete with a note on it saying that you've tried it," said Morgan.
Morgan says Common Core isn't really a new way of learning. She says the standards aim to foster a deeper understanding of concepts, deeper than many parents experienced when they were in school. She says that may be the source of the frustration.
"A big topic is fractions. It isn't just adding fractions, subtracting fractions, it's how do you use fractions," said Morgan.
Morgan recommends websites like
and
to help students and parents grasp the concepts.
"Sometimes I will send home a message on the LMS, learning management system, for the kids with the code of 'hey look at this video if you're stuck.' And I'm actually starting to create some of my own," said Morgan.
Parents can use the websites for free, simply by creating an account. You can create accounts for both yourself and your child. The websites offer sample problems, videos, and allows you to contact tutors.
The website
is also a good resource. The site provides "tip sheets" to guide parents through what their children are learning.
Sylvan Learning is another option if students and parents are struggling.
"That's probably one of the most common questions we're getting right now is Common Core," said Sylvan Learning Center Director Tamara Callejas.
Sylvan has a website called
and a number of apps through "Sylvan Play" that parents can find in the Google Play store and iTunes. Sylvan also works with local parent teacher associations to come out and do presentations.
"We have a presentation called 'Forgotten Math' that can help parents because math does look a lot different today that it did years ago," said Callejas.
Another resource for parents is an app called "
." You can download it for free in your app store on your smart phone. Using the app, you can take a picture of the math problem and it gives you the correct answer instantly. The app then goes back and walks you through the steps.
What's the difference between a Standard and a Curriculum?
.
What do you think of Common Core? Let us know on the
.
