Numeracy at home: Involving parents in mathematics education

Parental involvement in the form of 'at-home' interest and support has a major influence on pupils' educational outcomes and attitudes. Many parents, however, feel uninformed about current educational practices and how they can be more involved with their child‟s learning. A number of initiatives have been implemented internationally to encourage home-school links, but the documentation of these initiatives, particularly in the area of mathematics education is limited. This article provides some examples of mathematics education projects, initiatives and interventions as documented in the literature, as a context for discussing in detail two initiatives undertaken with the parents of two Australian schools. The projects point to parents as being important advocates in promoting mathematical reform and contemporary practice, with the article in general adding to the limited documentation available on the nature of such projects that cater for the needs of parents.