Appendix A Consent to Participate

Consent Form Parents Teach Math

Kate Nonesuch is looking for parents or other people who look after children to try out her ideas about helping kids do math. She is writing a book about how to do it. She also wants to see if adults get better at math when they teach the kids.

If you agree to take part, you will:

• Meet with Kate to talk about math and your kids (hour)
• Do a short math test (½ hour)
• Come to groups with other parents and adults (twice a week for 10 weeks, 1½–2 hours each time.) In the group you will learn new ways to teach math to your kids, and give Kate feedback about how her ideas work and how to make them work better.
• Work with kids on doing math (as much as you like)
• Meet again with Kate to talk about math and your kids (½ hour)
• Do another short math test (½ hour)

You can decide to stop taking part in the study any time you want to, no questions asked, no penalty.

At the front of the book and the report there will be a list of names of people who took part, to say thanks for helping with it. If you want your name in this list, it will be there. If you don’t want your name in the list, Kate will not put it there. Your name will not be anywhere else in the book or report. No one else will know what you said about math, or how well you did on the math test.

Kate will keep the information you give locked in her office. She will not let anyone see it unless they are working on this project (for example, the secretary). She will shred all the papers and delete the computer files in December, 2009.

If you take part, what could hurt you?

• You might remember some bad times you had doing math before. These memories might stress you out.
• You might feel nervous or embarrassed, especially at the beginning, when you are thinking about math in the group.

If you take part, what will you get out of it?

• You will learn some new ways to teach your kids some math
• You will learn some ways to help with math homework
• You will learn some math yourself
• You will have fun doing math
• You can feel proud to help make a book that will help other parents do math with their kids.
• You will get a copy of the new book for parents.
• You can keep all the things we make in class to help do math with kids.
• You will be paid for the first meeting with Kate, and for writing the test, and you will be paid again for the last meeting with Kate, and for writing the test. You will not be paid to come to the groups, or to work with your kids on math.