Votes are in: Parents would rather teach their kids how to drive, or help them with alcohol and drug abuse. algebra homework.

Parents aren’t the only ones who fear polynomial equations. The National Assessment of Educational Progress found that 8th- and ninth-graders would be willing to give up Facebook, video games and even algebra.

Dr. Richard Bavaria is an educator who recommends that parents treat algebra like reading. It’s a great opportunity to spend quality time with your children.

“We read with our kids on a fairly regular basis — story time, bed time, read-aloud time. Why shouldn’t we get the same enjoyment doing math with them?”Bavaria has been involved in education for 40 years.

Bavaria suggests the following games to encourage parents to have fun helping middle schoolers with algebra homework.

1. Keep score. Encourage your children to be scorekeepers if they are into sports, board games, or playing cards. You should always be active when watching sporting events. “statistics manager”Help them keep track of the stats of their favorite player or team.

2. Use manipulatives. Use manipulatives, which are tangible objects that allow children to visualize math problems. You can tailor it to your child’s interests by using their favorite foods and framing arithmetic problems around their hobbies.

3. Guess the number. Ask your family to join the fun by choosing a number, and then everyone takes turns guessing. Ask educational math questions that are smart and fun, such as “Can I count to your number by twos? Is it divisible by three?”

4. Real money. Use real money to teach your children how to identify coins in your wallet. Go to your bank with your kids and have them balance your checkbook.

5. Choose a “number of the day.”Instead of using a word, choose a number. Ask your children to think of different ways they can reach the number. You can reward them for their participation with little prizes

“We can’t allow our math insecurities to get in the way of our kids’ success. We can even estimate our kids’ progress by using Fit4Algebra — a free screener that measures how prepared students are for the subject,”Bavaria notes

Fit4Algebra is a tutoring service Sylvan Learning developed and is now available online www.Fit4Algebra.org. You can learn more about the math crisis here www.sylvanlearning.com.