So, when your child asks you for help with math homework, how do you use this book to help? You do not need to read the book from cover to cover for it to be of help. Instead, use it as a resource:

1. Look over the homework. Often a worksheet has a title that indicates in a general way what is going on: adding fractions, solving proportions, or finding a percent of a number. You can use the index or the table of contents to find the module with examples and worked problems that fit that topic. If there is no title that fits, leaf though the book looking for something that resembles the work on the worksheet.

2. Once you have turned to the most promising page for your topic, look for an example that asks the same type of question you are trying to answer. Work through the example with the stepped-out solution. Then follow those same steps to solve the homework problem. If you are not confident that you understand how to apply the steps, reassure yourself by trying an exercise from Now, Let's Practice at the end of the module.

3. Be sure to ask your child to explain things to you whenever possible. Giving your child the opportunity to teach you helps him or her think through the process and gain mastery of the skill at a higher level.

4. If you would like an extra activity to do with your child, try the one at the end of the module you are using.