Working in partnership with primary schools, Micki Garvey, the Family Learning Co-ordinator of Westminster Adult Education Services, organises maths workshops which venture beyond the usual offerings to parents. Working with the Roamer in a Family Learning situation gives ample opportunities for parents to become individually involved with their children's experience of mathematics. Often parents have to use mathematics they have not used for years, for example the number of degrees in a right-angle turn.

During the Family Learning workshops we do not have to persuade parents too much to actually get down on the floor and talk mathematics with their children. Parents get "hooked" almost immediately once they have been shown the basic commands.

The families always leave the workshops with a glow of "we worked it out together" which is one of the most important aspects of a successful Family Learning Workshop. Parents have commented that this sort of mathematics is far more interesting than anything they can remember from their own school days. Children often leave the workshops saying, "and we didn't have to do any work this afternoon..." whereas the parents are very aware of just how much mathematics has been involved.

	"It was a nice experience and fun with son; the first time to be here. It was enjoyable too for the child to learn from this Roamer. It was worth the time, not boring at all. And my child was happy too with his mother trying a new experience. Keep it up. Thanks." Jaya, mum to Bathiya
"It was a good and fun experience with my daughter this afternoon. I found that the Roamer was very clever and I and my daughter like it very much. It is a good idea to learn Maths in this way and I was pleased that my daughter found the Roamer easy to operate. Thank you for a lovely afternoon." Miwa, mother of Sara
	"I thought it was very well thought out and organised. Very interesting that a child could learn maths this way. It was a great day. We could do this sort of thing again. Liam enjoyed it and we both liked working alongside each other." Kenny, dad to William
"Today's session was wonderful. My child enjoyed it very much. It was a very good way of learning maths, coordination and planning ahead. The best thing was, they had fun - and learned as well." Heroida, mum to Glauk