Downplay the value of worksheets or rote learning, and emphasize the value of learning through play or through family activities, and the value of activities that allow the child to come to understand mathematical concepts for themselves. Two examples from the manual show the emphasis on play and on giving the child time to learn what there is to learn, without worrying about “right” ways, or getting it quickly.
Put some empty plastic tubs into your child’s bathtub…your child will use one tub to fill up another, will try to pour all the water in a big tub into a smaller one, will find out that many dips with a small tub are needed to fill a big one, and will feel the difference between pouring a small tub over his head and pouring a big one. This is math learning (Nonesuch, 2008, p. 20).
An older child can put away mugs and cups. What to do with the handles is an interesting problem, especially if there are lots of mugs and not very much space to put them in. How much space do things take up? How can I fit things into a tight space? Both these are problems that a kid can work on without even knowing that she is doing math (Nonesuch, 2008, p. 35).
Emphasize that there are many ways to do the activities, that there is no “right” answer, that the experience of trying things out and the satisfaction of making something or doing something that has consequences in the real world is the purpose of the activities, and that a good measure of success is to ask how much fun they are having.
An informal, non-competitive atmosphere goes a long way to helping parents enjoy each other’s company and value the contributions each person brings to the group. Dispelling the myth that there is only one way to get the right answer reduces stress, and one way to dispel the myth is to focus on different strategies various participants use to do the activity
When we value and cherish different ways of tackling a problem or arriving at a solution, we value and cherish the people who follow those different ways. When parents see that there is no single “right” way, it gives them confidence to try something new.
Use a facilitation style that establishes a sense of comfort and safety in the group and a shared power arrangement with participants. Demonstrate the attitudes and the messages you want to get across to parents. Let your fascination with math show. Let your interest in the variety of ways people approach problems show, too.