Sunshine Math

Dear Parents,

We welcome your child and you to SUNSHINE MATH, a program designed to enhance your child’s journey through mathematics. By expressing an interest in more challenging problem solving, your child has taken the first step toward becoming an independent learner who is capable of addressing many types of problems.

Each Monday your child will receive a worksheet of problems that he or she may work during the week. Each problem is ranked according to its level of difficulty. The number of stars you see beside a problem indicates the level of difficulty. Each Monday I will conduct a “help session” to discuss the most challenging problems of the week.  After the session, your child may complete or rework any of the problems before that week’s worksheet is turned in.

Your role in SUNSHINE MATH is to encourage and facilitate your child’s problem solving. During the week, allow time for him or her to think about each problem. You may need to read the problem to your child, explaining any new words encountered. Feel free to suggest a strategy for solving the problem, offer “counters” or manipulatives, or listen as your child shares her or his thinking, but please DO NOT GIVE THE ANSWERS. In order for this program to be effective, the students must do their own thinking.

It is normal for a child NOT to be able to complete every problem on a worksheet. The process of reading, understanding, and approaching the problems is a valuable step in the solving of many types of problems. Remind your child that she or he is not expected to know the answer to every problem.

Thank you for allowing your child this chance to embark on this mathematical adventure. Your signature gives permission for your child to begin.