How to Help a Child with Math Anxiety
Talk to the child., Tutor them or hire a tutor., Teach them to take notes., Encourage them to take their time., Teach them at their own pace., Take breaks when necessary., Provide them with the tools they need to be successful., Value their...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Talk to the child.
Find out why they feel how they feel about math.
Something may have happened that you don’t know about Talk to them about their worries surrounding math.
Go through their worries one by one to see what you can do to help.For instance, one of your child’s worries might be that if they get an answer wrong, their teacher will think they are stupid.
Tell your child that students get questions wrong all the time and that teachers are there to help. -
Step 2: Tutor them or hire a tutor.
One way to help a child overcome their math anxiety is to give them some additional training in the subject.
The child might be struggling to grasp the concepts in the classroom, but with a bit of outside help, they might be able to perform well.Sign them up for some after school tutoring.
One on one is best, when possible.
If you are their parent, you can also work with them individually after school. , The student might be experiencing anxiety because they don’t feel that they have any information on how to complete the math they are assigned.
Many schools don’t allow students to bring home their textbooks, so your child might feel lost.
Encourage them to take notes in class and to copy down any necessary formulas or tips that their teacher shares.
They can use these to study before an exam or while completing homework.Even when they don’t have a test or homework, encourage them to review their notes daily. , When they become stressed, teach them how to breathe deeply.
This will help to calm them down they they feel overwhelmed.
Many mistakes are made on math problems when students are frustrated or trying to rush.
Talk to them about the importance of pacing themselves., When tutoring or teaching a child, do not move on to the next lesson until they have successfully grasped the first.
If you are a teacher, you might need to give the student some one on one time after class to keep them caught up so that the class as a whole doesn’t have to move at a slower pace.If you are their parent, don’t move on to the next problem until they fully understand the work they have just done. , It is good to take breaks so that the student does not become agitated with math.
If you sense that they are becoming overwhelmed, give them a five minute bathroom break.
If possible, give them a snack or cup of water.
Allow them to take a few minutes away from the subject to rest their minds. , Though some students can learn from numbers on paper alone, others might need additional tools in order to get it.
They might need visual aids or manipulatives likes blocks.
Incorporate these into your lessons when possible to accomodate all types of learners., If you are their teacher, don’t say “Wrong!” when they provide an incorrect response to a problem.
Instead, ask if anyone else got that answer.
Find out who got different results from that student.
You will often find that there are several wrong answers floating in the room.
Then say “let’s figure it out together.” Help them grow past their mistakes and know that they are not the only person making them., Though testing is very important in today’s school systems, the ultimate objective should be to train students who are confident in and capable of doing math.
Do not have pop quizzes often and avoid frequent testing.
Focus instead on encouraging learning and application of knowledge.Assign take home tests when at all possible.
Provide additional time to students when completing in-class assignments.
If you are a parent, don’t rush them to complete their homework.
Do not make this time any more stressful for them. -
Step 3: Teach them to take notes.
-
Step 4: Encourage them to take their time.
-
Step 5: Teach them at their own pace.
-
Step 6: Take breaks when necessary.
-
Step 7: Provide them with the tools they need to be successful.
-
Step 8: Value their mistakes.
-
Step 9: Take the emphasis off of tests and timed assignments.
Detailed Guide
Find out why they feel how they feel about math.
Something may have happened that you don’t know about Talk to them about their worries surrounding math.
Go through their worries one by one to see what you can do to help.For instance, one of your child’s worries might be that if they get an answer wrong, their teacher will think they are stupid.
Tell your child that students get questions wrong all the time and that teachers are there to help.
One way to help a child overcome their math anxiety is to give them some additional training in the subject.
The child might be struggling to grasp the concepts in the classroom, but with a bit of outside help, they might be able to perform well.Sign them up for some after school tutoring.
One on one is best, when possible.
If you are their parent, you can also work with them individually after school. , The student might be experiencing anxiety because they don’t feel that they have any information on how to complete the math they are assigned.
Many schools don’t allow students to bring home their textbooks, so your child might feel lost.
Encourage them to take notes in class and to copy down any necessary formulas or tips that their teacher shares.
They can use these to study before an exam or while completing homework.Even when they don’t have a test or homework, encourage them to review their notes daily. , When they become stressed, teach them how to breathe deeply.
This will help to calm them down they they feel overwhelmed.
Many mistakes are made on math problems when students are frustrated or trying to rush.
Talk to them about the importance of pacing themselves., When tutoring or teaching a child, do not move on to the next lesson until they have successfully grasped the first.
If you are a teacher, you might need to give the student some one on one time after class to keep them caught up so that the class as a whole doesn’t have to move at a slower pace.If you are their parent, don’t move on to the next problem until they fully understand the work they have just done. , It is good to take breaks so that the student does not become agitated with math.
If you sense that they are becoming overwhelmed, give them a five minute bathroom break.
If possible, give them a snack or cup of water.
Allow them to take a few minutes away from the subject to rest their minds. , Though some students can learn from numbers on paper alone, others might need additional tools in order to get it.
They might need visual aids or manipulatives likes blocks.
Incorporate these into your lessons when possible to accomodate all types of learners., If you are their teacher, don’t say “Wrong!” when they provide an incorrect response to a problem.
Instead, ask if anyone else got that answer.
Find out who got different results from that student.
You will often find that there are several wrong answers floating in the room.
Then say “let’s figure it out together.” Help them grow past their mistakes and know that they are not the only person making them., Though testing is very important in today’s school systems, the ultimate objective should be to train students who are confident in and capable of doing math.
Do not have pop quizzes often and avoid frequent testing.
Focus instead on encouraging learning and application of knowledge.Assign take home tests when at all possible.
Provide additional time to students when completing in-class assignments.
If you are a parent, don’t rush them to complete their homework.
Do not make this time any more stressful for them.
About the Author
Lori Taylor
Specializes in breaking down complex practical skills topics into simple steps.
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