Math Anxiety

Researchers think that about 20% of the human population suffers from Math Anxiety!

1. Some people develop math anxiety because they have not mastered the foundational skills. It is hard to master fractions, for example, if you do not yet have a grasp on whole numbers. But even those who do well in the subject can develop math anxiety. Some students struggle with math in school, because they often just can’t express their thinking in symbols. Their brains can do math, but have language problems.

2. Math anxiety can lead kids to avoid studying. They can end up less prepared for tests, and even more anxious. Math is cumulative, with one lesson building on another. If they are too anxious to learn, they can fall behind and have trouble catching up. 

3. Laurent Schwartz, French mathematician, wrote in his autobiography that he was a slow thinker in math and even believed that he was stupid. That is until he realized that 'What is important is to deeply understand things and their relations to each other. This is where intelligence lies. The fact of being quick or slow isn't really relevant.'

4. To avoid students falling behind in math, we must work together to help your child practice math through real-world experiences, keep up with their work as they move through the math curriculum, and help them to develop good overall study skills.

   1. 1. • "Whether by improving math education, specifically targeting math anxiety, or both, it’s clear there’s a need for better support...But a child with math anxiety can’t just get over it because an adult tells them math is easy."

         • "Research has shown that math anxiety is more strongly linked to poor performance when students take a timed test. There are likely several reasons why alleviating time pressure makes math anxiety less of a problem, from reducing worries about not finishing in time, to giving students the time and space to work through their answers."

         • The better a student’s schoolmates perform in mathematics, the greater the student’s anxiety towards mathematics. Teachers’ use of formative assessment practices is associated with lower levels of mathematics anxiety in 39 countries and economies.

Math performance is influenced by a number of factors!

4. 1. 1. • Math performance is affected by Math-self efficacy (confidence), math anxiety, dyscalculia, motivation, parental influences, effective teacher support, classroom instruction, class size, and students' reading/language skills. 

         • LET THEM STRUGGLE—BUT DON'T LET THEM STRUGGLE ALONE. It’s appropriate for students to say, “This is difficult, but I have strategies and resources that can help me figure it out.”

         • Productive struggle helps children develop perseverance, problem-solving skills, and confidence. Instead of giving your child the answer, ask questions that help them discover the answer themselves.

         • The goal isn't to make math easy. The goal is to help students become capable of doing difficult math.