For Families
A Letter Home for Every Chapter
Support at Home
Get math tips in your inbox
A short email for anyone helping a student at home, whether you are a parent, caregiver, grandparent, or tutor. Practical ways to support their math, plus new resources as we add them. No classroom jargon.
What is in a letter
Three minutes, and homework makes more sense
PART 01
What the class is learning
A plain summary of the chapter, written for families rather than teachers.
PART 02
The words students will use
The vocabulary coming up, so the terms on homework are not a surprise.
PART 03
Problems like the ones at home
Sample problems with the kind of thinking the chapter asks for.
Tools and Topics
A Letter for Every Chapter
Each Tools and Topics letter covers what the chapter is about, how it fits into the bigger mathematical picture, which support materials go with it, and a Try This at Home activity. These are written for Inspiring Connections and come in English and Spanish.
Inspiring ConnectionsInspiring Connections Course 111 letters
Start Here
By Chapter
Inspiring ConnectionsInspiring Connections Course 210 letters
Start Here
By Chapter
Inspiring ConnectionsInspiring Connections Course 310 letters
Start Here
By Chapter
Which courses have letters
Chapter letters are written for Inspiring Connections, Courses 1, 2 and 3. Every letter is available in English and Spanish.
If your student is in a Core Connections course, the Parent Guide plays the same role, with an explanation and practice for each chapter.
Common questions
Before you start
Which chapter should I read?
The one the class is working on now. Chapter numbers match the book, and the teacher usually names the chapter in class updates.
Do I read it with my student?
Either way works. Some families read it alone to know what is coming, others read the vocabulary section aloud together.
Is there a Spanish version?
Yes. Every chapter letter is available in both English and Spanish.
Can I get all of them at once?
Yes. Each course has an option to download every letter in a single file.
What if I have a question after reading?
Bring it to the teacher. The letters are written to give families the words to ask a specific question rather than a general one.
Still Need Help?
Still Stuck on Tonight’s Homework?
Start with the teacher, who knows what the class is working on. CPM Support can help with access and materials.
Keep going
Other things families use
Extra Practice
Guided Skill Supports, with worked examples and answers by chapter.
Find your course →Parent Guides
Explanations and practice for every chapter, whole book or single chapter.
Open the guides →Support for Every Learner
IEPs and 504 plans, multilingual learners, and students who need more challenge.
See what helps →Tell Us What You Think
Was this page helpful?
Your feedback shapes what goes on these pages. For questions about a specific assignment or class, your student’s teacher is still the best person to ask.
Quick Reference
CPM Words, Explained
Study team
Two to four students who work together every day. Each has an assigned role, and they change teams often.
Review & Preview
The homework in Core Connections. It mixes in older topics on purpose, so it will not always match the day’s lesson.
Reflection & Practice
The same thing as Review & Preview, but in Inspiring Connections.
Checkpoint
A marked skill check in the book, with worked examples and answers, so a student can test what they actually know.
Math Notes
The boxes with the definitions and formulas. They appear after students have worked with an idea, not before.
Methods & Meanings
The newer name for Math Notes. Same thing.
Toolkit
A notebook a student builds through the course, with their notes, examples, and diagrams in one place.
Mathematician’s Notebook
The Inspiring Connections version of the Toolkit.
Parent Guide
Worked examples for specific homework problems. Find it in the eBook under Reference, then Student Support.
Guided Skill Supports
Extra practice organized by chapter, for Core Connections courses.
Skill Builders
Extra practice organized by topic, for Inspiring Connections courses.
Tools and Topics
A letter home for each chapter, explaining what the chapter covers and what to try at home.
Rough Draft Talk
Sharing an unfinished idea out loud without being marked wrong for it. It is meant to lower the stakes.
Team Challenge
A test taken together as a team, usually before the individual test.
Whiteboards on the wall
Students working standing up at vertical surfaces. It makes thinking visible and easier to revise.
No match. Try another word, or reach out below.