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A child can finish their Maths homework and still feel unsure about the ideas behind it. They may know how to follow an example shown in class, then become stuck when the numbers or wording change.

If your child is in Grade 8 in British Columbia, a few thoughtful questions can help you start a useful conversation. Ask them to show their working and explain why they chose each step. Their explanation will often tell you more than a correct or incorrect answer alone.

The seven questions below cover a selection of skills relevant to BC Grade 8 Mathematics. They are a starting point for discussion, not a test or a diagnosis. A child might not yet have studied every topic, and one mistake does not establish a learning gap.

How to use these questions with your child

Set aside a calm 20–30 minutes. Let your child work without a time limit. If they get stuck, ask:

• “What do you know from the question?”
• “Could you draw a picture or make a table?”
• “How could you check whether your answer makes sense?”

Try to notice whether the difficulty is with the calculation, understanding the question, choosing a method or explaining the result. Those are different needs, and they call for different kinds of support.

1. Fractions: Can your child work out what is left?

Question: A bottle contains 1½ litres of juice. Your family drinks ¾ of a litre. How much juice remains?

Answer: ¾ of a litre.

How to work it out: Write 1½ as 1¼? No—that would change its value. Write 1½ as 6/4, then subtract 3/4. The result is 3/4 litre.

What to watch for: Does your child convert 1½ correctly before subtracting? Can they explain why the answer must be less than 1½ litres? If they can perform familiar fraction calculations but struggle with mixed numbers in a word problem, the issue may be interpreting the situation as much as calculating.

2. Percentages: Can your child apply a discount?

Question: A jacket costs $80. It is reduced by 25%. What is the sale price before tax?

Answer: $60.

How to work it out: Twenty-five percent is one quarter. One quarter of $80 is $20, so the sale price is $80 − $20 = $60.

What to watch for: Some learners correctly find $20 but give that as the sale price. Ask your child to label what each number means: original price, amount saved and final price. This reveals whether they understand the question as well as the percentage calculation.

3. Best buys: Can your child compare unit prices?

Question: One shop sells 3 notebooks for $12. Another sells 5 notebooks for $18. Which offer gives you the lower price per notebook?

Answer: The second shop.

How to work it out: The first offer costs $12 ÷ 3 = $4 per notebook. The second costs $18 ÷ 5 = $3.60 per notebook. Since $3.60 is less than $4, the second offer is cheaper per notebook.

What to watch for: Does your child compare the total prices and choose $12 because it looks cheaper? A strong explanation identifies the common measure—price per notebook—before making the comparison. This is a useful example of proportional reasoning in everyday life.

4. Patterns: Can your child find a rule?

Question: A student saves $4 in week 1, $7 in week 2, $10 in week 3 and $13 in week 4.

If this pattern continues, how much will they save in week 8? Explain your rule.

Answer: $25 in week 8.

How to work it out: The amount increases by $3 each week. Four increases take us from week 4 to week 8: $13 + (4 × $3) = $25. Another way to express the weekly amount is $3 × the week number + $1.

What to watch for: Can your child explain where the extra $1 in the rule comes from? Can they check their rule against weeks 1 and 2? Finding the next number is helpful; explaining a rule that works for any week shows deeper understanding.

5. Equations: Can your child work backwards and check?

Question: A number is multiplied by 3, then 4 is subtracted. The result is 20. What is the number?

Answer: 8.

How to work it out: If the number is xx, then 3x − 4 = 20. Add 4 to both sides to get 3x = 24, then divide by 3 to get x = 8. Check: 3 × 8 − 4 = 20.

What to watch for: Can your child turn the words into an equation? Do they keep both sides equal when solving it? If they reach an answer, encourage them to substitute it back into the original statement. Checking is part of mathematical reasoning, not an optional extra.

6. Right triangles: Can your child choose the correct side?

Question: A rectangular garden is 6 metres wide and 8 metres long. What is the distance in a straight line from one corner to the opposite corner?

Answer: 10 metres.

How to work it out: The width, length and diagonal form a right triangle. Using the Pythagorean theorem, the diagonal squared is 6² + 8² = 36 + 64 = 100. The diagonal is therefore √100 = 10 metres.

What to watch for: Does your child draw or picture the triangle before calculating? Can they identify the diagonal as the longest side? If they have not yet studied the Pythagorean theorem at school, save this question and return to it later.

7. Reasoning: Can your child decide whether a claim is true?

Question: A student says, “If something goes up by 20% and then goes down by 20%, it returns to its original value.” Is the student correct? Use an original price of $100 to explain.

Answer: No. The final value is $96.

How to work it out: A 20% increase on $100 is $20, making the new price $120. A 20% decrease is then calculated from $120, not from $100. Twenty percent of $120 is $24, so the final price is $120 − $24 = $96.

What to watch for: Can your child explain why the two percentages do not cancel out? The key idea is that they are calculated from different starting amounts. This question tests reasoning about percentages, not just the ability to multiply decimals.

What if your child finds several questions difficult?

First, check which topics they have actually covered in school. Then look at their recent classwork and ask where they first became unsure. A child who struggles with the fraction question may need to revisit earlier number skills. A child who calculates accurately but cannot explain a pattern may need more practice expressing mathematical ideas.

Speak with your child’s teacher if you are concerned. You can ask which topics the class has covered, where your child is progressing well and what would be most useful to practise at home.

If the difficulty persists, individual tutoring can give your child room to ask questions, explain their thinking and work through the exact step where understanding breaks down. The aim is not simply to complete more exercises. It is to help them understand the ideas well enough to use them independently.

Online Grade 8 Maths support for families in British Columbia

Glareminds offers live, one-to-one online tutoring for learners in British Columbia, including families in Vancouver, Surrey, Burnaby and other communities. We begin with a free academic consultation and diagnostic conversation to understand the learner’s current work, strengths and areas where support may help. Lessons can then be planned around the child’s school topics and learning needs.

If you are looking for a Grade 8 Maths tutor, explore our online tutoring for families in Canada or contact Glareminds to arrange a free consultation. Bring a recent Maths assignment or teacher comment if you have one—it will help us make the conversation specific to your child.