Virginia updated its Mathematics Standards of Learning (SOLs) in 2023, with full state-wide implementation rolling out in the 2024–2025 school year. This was a deliberate move away from memorizing procedures and toward true understanding and real-world application.
We break down what changed, what it looks like at homework time, and what you can do if your child needs extra support along the way.
For decades, math instruction focused heavily on procedure, which looked something like this: learn the steps, practice the steps, repeat. That approach builds calculation speed, but can leave gaps in understanding.
If your child memorizes a method without understanding it, they will struggle when problems look slightly different or when concepts get more complex.
The 2023 Virginia SOL revision addresses this pain point directly. The updated standards ask students to:
Understand the "why" behind mathematical procedures
Apply math to real-world situations, not just textbook problems
Explain and show their thinking, not just produce a final answer
Build skills that connect deliberately to what comes next
This is why parents might have a hard time recognizing their kids' homework nowadays. It has moved away from the steps we used to follow in our day toward deepening conceptual understanding.
You can explore the full scope of changes in the official 2023 Virginia Math SOLs or GMU's revision overview.
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The 2023 SOL updates touch nearly every grade level and subject area within math. Based on our chats with parents in Mechanicsville, VA, here are the five most noticeable changes you are likely to see in your child's homework.
Your child may come home with a math problem that reads more like a story than an equation. That's mathematical modeling at work.
The updated SOLs ask students to use math as a tool for solving real-world problems, going beyond abstract exercises on a page. Instead of "Solve for x," your child might need to figure out how much paint they need to cover a wall or how to split a budget fairly among a group.
This approach helps your student see math as something that applies to their lives, extending well beyond the pages of a textbook.
Charts, graphs, and datasets now appear across all grade levels, starting earlier than you might expect.
Rather than simply calculating with numbers, your student now reads, interprets, and draws conclusions from data. A homework assignment might include a bar graph, a scatter plot, or a table, and ask your child to explain what the data shows.
Your child will carry these skills well beyond the classroom, into the workplace and everyday life.
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The right answer used to be enough. Under the updated SOLs, how students get there is relevant just as much.
Your child now needs to show their reasoning, explain the steps, and sometimes solve a problem more than one way. This can feel unfamiliar, especially when a parent knows a faster method. In practice, your student:
May need to draw a model or diagram
Writes out a brief explanation alongside their calculations
Earns partial credit by showing their reasoning, not just the final answer
These requirements aim to help students work through problems independently and feel confident in their reasoning.
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The 2023 SOLs were designed so that each grade level builds explicitly on the one before it. This is vertical articulation, and it reshapes how schools deliver foundational concepts.
A skill your student learns in third grade now deliberately connects to what they will need in fifth grade and beyond. That implies some already introduced concepts, and some homework may look more foundational than parents expect for a given grade.
Over here in Hanover County, this also connects to distinct course pathways available from middle school onward, including tracks in Data Science and Calculus.
Hanover County Public Schools is the local body responsible for implementing the new SOLs, and the HCPS Programs of Studies is a useful starting point for families navigating these course pathway decisions.
If your child attends school in a different county, your district's website or your child's school counselor is the best starting point for understanding local course pathways and how the new SOLs are being implemented in your area.
Virginia's state assessments now include what are called “Technology Enhanced Items.” Homework is increasingly designed to prepare students for these formats. This also means some assignments have moved from paper to screen, as students practice the same digital interactions they'll encounter on test day.
Instead of circling a multiple-choice answer, your student might:
Drag and drop values into the correct position
Construct a graph digitally
Write a short response explaining their reasoning
These formats may look unfamiliar at first. The more your child practices at home, the more confident they will feel on test day.
If your child is finding the transition to the new SOLs challenging, here are a few useful resources to help your family navigate the change.
The local body responsible for implementing the 2023 SOLs. The HCPS Programs of Studies is a useful starting point for understanding course pathways, grade-level expectations, and how the new standards are being rolled out in your child's school.
The 2023 Virginia Math SOLs and the GMU revision overview offer a fuller picture of what has changed statewide and why.
If your child needs extra support making the transition, Mathnasium of Mechanicsville on Atlee Road offers personalized, assessment-based math tutoring designed around how each student actually learns.
The 2023 SOL updates changed what math homework looks like. Mathnasium helps students build the foundational understanding the new standards require.
Mathnasium is a math-only learning center that helps K-12 students catch up, keep up, and get ahead in math.
Virginia's 2023 SOL updates ask more of students than previous standards did. Conceptual understanding, data literacy, and mathematical reasoning are now core expectations at every grade level. For some students, that adjustment takes time and targeted support.
That’s exactly what our learning center offers.
At Mathnasium, we use the Mathnasium Method™, our proprietary teaching approach that combines personalized learning plans with proven instructional techniques. Rather than following a one-size-fits-all program, our tutors meet students where they are and introduce concepts gradually and logically.
Each student begins with a diagnostic assessment that identifies their current skills, knowledge gaps, and learning goals. From there, our specially trained tutors build a personalized learning plan tailored to exactly what each student needs.
Sessions take place in a caring and fun group environment, with face-to-face instruction available both in-center and online. Every session is designed to build understanding step by step, so students feel prepared and confident as expectations grow.
The results speak for themselves:
94% of parents report an improvement in their child's math skills and understanding
93% of parents report a more positive attitude toward math
90% of students saw an improvement in their school grades
Mathnasium operates over 1,100 centers, bringing top-rated math instruction close to your community.
If you're near Mechanicsville, VA, Mathnasium of Mechanicsville has years of experience helping local students transform how they think and feel about math. Whether your child needs to catch up, keep up, or get ahead, our team is happy to help.
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Mathnasium of Mechanicsville is a math-only learning center for K-12 students in Mechanicsville, VA. Trusted by over a million parents, Mathnasium uses personalized learning plans and the proprietary Mathnasium Method™ to help students catch up, keep up, and get ahead on their math journey.
Our specially trained tutors deliver face-to-face instruction in a supportive and fun small-group environment, working with students to develop a deep understanding of math, build confidence, and improve academic performance.
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