A brand-new year has arrived, and with it comes a valuable opportunity for parents to help their kids start fresh in math.

With a full semester of school under their belts and with young minds well rested after winter break, the new year is an ideal time for kids and families to step back, reassess academic performance, and recommit to achieving their math goals. Here are five steps you can take to get your child on track:

• Assess the situation: Go beyond the letter grade on your child’s report card. Pinpoint problem areas, familiarize yourself with the math curriculum used in school, and gain insight into your child’s classroom performance by connecting with your child’s math teacher. Make a note of key dates such as upcoming standardized tests. Keep in mind that today’s math struggles most likely took root in previous years.
• Identify resources at your disposal: If your child needs extra help beyond the scope of school resources, seek out study tools online and/or a supplementary math program that can provide your child with the after-school support necessary to catch up and excel.
• Think positively: Math success starts with the right attitude, so do what you can to model and reinforce a positive math mindset at home … even if you struggled with math in your own youth. Connect with your child for a heart-to-heart and talk through negative perceptions of math that may stem from years of frustration in class.
• Formulate an action plan: Sit with your child and outline realistic goals for the coming year as well as steps you’ll take to bring them to fruition. This includes carving out sufficient time for daily study and practice, getting organized, and committing to making math a priority in the year ahead.
• Make math fun: Embrace and explore math outside of the classroom. Work math-related games and activities into leisure time and expose your child to real-world situations that involve math. Seek out supplementary programs that make math come alive by making the subject fun and engaging.

As you set your action plan into motion, emphasize the value of taking things one step at a time. Math success won’t happen overnight—particularly if your child is very far behind. Encourage your child to see setbacks and off days as learning opportunities, check in regularly, and celebrate accomplishments and milestones with enthusiasm and fanfare. Be supportive, but give your child the space necessary to develop problem-solving skills independently. With diligent effort over time, it is entirely possible for a struggling math student to make massive gains and embrace mathematical challenges with newfound confidence!