We need to get serious about challenging our beliefs about math — who is good at it, and how we learn it.

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to know algebra to help your child succeed in high school. In fact, research by Professor Nancy Hill of Harvard University, shows,that when parents helped teens to do their homework it actually had a negative effect!

Research shows that parents can have a big impact by creating a structured, well-supported environment at home. The developmental needs of children, and the school environments vary considerably at different grade levels. Nonetheless, the tips I’ll share below apply to ages.

Based on this analysis, let’s just assume we agree: Too much homework — BAD; Well-designed homework — GOOD. But what does well designed homework look like?

What is the appropriate amount of homework? How much time should students be spending to do homework? What kids of tasks are meaningful for student learning? How much should families help?