Sixth grade marks a very exciting time for your child. At the same time that their academic life is growing more challenging and demanding, their friendships are getting more complex and their bodies are going through a number of big changes. These things can throw anyone off-track in school, but you may be noticing that your child is having trouble with math.
The most direct way you will know your child is struggling is through their grades. If your child is bringing home poor math scores, but their other subjects are holding steady, then you should look more closely into your child’s math skills. Their teacher will also be able to give you feedback on what your child is struggling with and can be essential in helping you come up with a plan.
Skills They Need in Sixth Grade
Their math skills have been building steadily throughout their elementary school years, but even if your child has done well until now, they may be having problems starting in sixth grade. Your child now has to be able to: 
- Write, understand, and work with ratios
- Understand unit rates and how to convert them
- Work with fractions, including multiplying and dividing them and converting from word problems
- Understand basic foundations of geometry such as area, volume, and surface area
- Recognize negative numbers and understand how to solve problems with them
- Understand basic foundations of statistics such as mean, median, range, and mode
How to Help
It’s easy to see how your child may be struggling; this is a lot of information to work with. Luckily, there are ways you can help. Starting by meeting with their teacher is a good step as they can identify specific strategies you can take to help your child with their work. You should also talk to your child about how they feel about math, as this is a time when math anxiety can start to set in.
A great way to help your child is to enroll them in Math Genie. Wherever your child is struggling in math, the teachers at Math Genie know how to help. Whether your child is having trouble in a specific area or with foundational skills, the program is set up to not only help them catch up, but surpass what they are learning in class. The program at Math Genie is designed to teach your child what they need to be successful while building their confidence. Your child can also be in a class with other students, allowing them to build new connections outside of school.
No matter how your child is struggling with math, you should make sure they know that these skills are important for them to learn. Math can be challenging for a lot of students at this age, but it is a beautiful skill to develop and will only help them further in life.
Source: https://www.today.com/parenting-guides/6th-grade-math-skills-t177795
