The homework subject parents hate helping with the most uncovered

• New research has found the subject primary school children find most difficult is maths

• It is also parents’ least favourite to help with when it comes to homework

• More than half said that they would sooner clean the bathroom than teach their child complicated maths   

• About two in five parents aren’t confident with the maths terminology used in primary schools

• But the study also shows children are open to more creative ways of learning maths

When it comes to homework, sometimes your children will inevitably need your help. 

But for many parents, their schooldays are many years behind them now, along with their sense of familiarity with the subject matter. What exactly children learn in school has likely evolved since their time in the classroom too - with a full review of England’s national curriculum underway at the moment - and, of course, we all had our own strengths and weaknesses.

A new study commissioned by the Oxford University Press quizzed 2,000 parents and schoolchildren across the UK, to find out which core school subjects primary-aged children found the most difficult. It also asked parents which one they most dreaded helping with, when it comes to homework. 

Parents and their children were united when it came to first place, with maths winning out for both. Over half (54%) of the child respondents said that maths was the most difficult subject they learn at school - beating out both science and English - while, 60% of parents said it was their least favourite homework to help with. In fact, it was so strongly disliked that 54% said they would rather clean the bathroom than teach it to their child.

About two in five parents (38%) admitted they were not confident with the maths terminology used in primary schools either. Among the common homework concepts they struggled with were subitising, chunking, and BODMAS.

Oxford University Press senior maths publisher Jayne Jarvis said the findings showed that many parents suffered from “maths anxiety”, despite 97% agreeing it was an essential skill for adult life. But despite the apparent disconnect between parents’ feelings about helping their children with maths and how important it is, she said that their research was encouraging - especially for the next generation.

“Children are keen to explore different creative approaches when it comes to learning maths, especially through storytelling, reading and writing,” she continued. The research revealed that many children were eager to approach maths more creatively. 

When asked about different maths learning techniques, one in three (34%) said they’d enjoy writing adventure stories that incorporate maths puzzles, while over a third (35%) wanted to learn maths through colourful storybooks.

This also meant that there were other ways parents could help support their child’s numeracy skills at home, besides breaking out the pen and paper and running through a list of equations. At home, 50% of children said they would value maths being explained through stories and talking with their parents - even more than being shown YouTube videos (40%) or using a calculator (25%). On top of this, more than half (54%) also said they would enjoy solving maths exercises through problem-solving games.

Oxford University Press has launched a brand new series of ‘Stories for Maths’ picture books, aimed at children from Reception age through to Year 2. The publisher says these have been uniquely crafted to teach key maths concepts, with incorporated prompts aimed at boosting speaking and vocabulary too.

“As experts in language development and from our decades of experience in developing tailored maths resources, we felt in a unique position to address this challenge,” Ms Jarvis added. “By giving children the opportunity to learn maths through storybooks we hope to break down the barriers to maths and offer new, creative, ways for children – and parents – to engage with the subject.”

The ‘Stories for Maths’ storybooks are available for sale today. Oxford University Press is also offering all schools a free online copy. You can find out more about purchasing the series or downloading it for free online here.

If you’re interested in more of our stories on boosting your child’s literacy and numeracy skills at home, check out this piece on some of the top educational apps available for download. Or try this one to learn more about what you should be teaching your child before they enter Reception.