One thing that makes it difficult to catch up is the discussion portion of the class. Students are sharing ideas and strategies, listening to others share their thinking, and critiquing the efficiency of one strategy over the other. A parent may be able to help with the procedural side, but classroom discourse helps build the conceptual understanding and mathematical proficiency. That said, many kids can miss a few days of class for any subject and be fine. Others fall behind and need more time to work through concepts. ODS is one of those kids who needs to be in class. He needs to go from concrete (hands-on), to semi-concrete (drawings), to the abstract (understanding the procedure, why it works, and several ways to approach a problem). When he was sick last year, it threw him off. I teach math methods at the college level but cannot replicate classroom discussions. Plus, he prefers not to have Mom be in Teacher Mode and does not want my help.