Published: October 7, 2019
As children settle into classroom routines, parents may notice that some subjects feel more difficult or worrying than others. Math-related worry is often described as math anxiety. Understanding how a child feels about math can be as useful as looking at their marks.
One of the most common reasons families reach out to us to find a math tutor in Toronto is because they have a child who is struggling in math. While it is normal for students to be challenged by new material — especially at the beginning of the school year — in some cases, the problem transcends the normal difficulties involved in mastering new concepts and formulae.
When a child becomes distressed by math, take their feelings seriously and ask which situations feel difficult. Understanding the academic task and the emotional response can help families and teachers choose appropriate support.
What is Math Anxiety?
Math anxiety is a widely observed phenomenon in which students develop negative emotional reactions to math and math-related tasks. This can manifest in a range of different ways: as a frustration with arithmetic and avoidance of tasks that require it, a general sense of tension, and even as bursts of anger and rage on the part of children suffering from this issue when confronted with math problems.
Math anxiety can make it harder to concentrate or encourage a student to avoid math tasks. Acknowledge these feelings without assuming that they reflect low ability or a lack of effort.
The three approaches below focus on listening to your child, making schoolwork manageable and building a supportive practice routine. They are suggestions for academic support, rather than a promise that any one approach will resolve anxiety.
A tutor in Toronto can help identify confusing concepts, explain material at the student’s pace and provide structured practice. Tutoring provides academic support; it should not be presented as treatment for an anxiety disorder.
Personalized tutoring can provide additional guidance as your child develops math skills and confidence. The right balance of support will depend on the individual student.
1. Understand the Problem
Start by asking what your child finds worrying: being timed, answering in front of classmates, making mistakes or a particular topic. In one study of secondary-school students in England, approximately 4% reported high anxiety about examinations and tests. This finding is not a prevalence estimate for math anxiety among all children.
Avoid dismissing a child’s concerns as laziness or immaturity. Listen to their explanation, talk with their teacher and look for situations in which the worry becomes more noticeable.
Focus on the next skill the student can practise, rather than treating current difficulties as a fixed limit on their ability. Encouragement is most useful when it is paired with explanations and tasks the child can understand.
Talk about the difficulty without blaming the student. Ask what makes a task feel stressful and agree on a manageable next step with the child and their teacher.
Our math tutors in Mississauga and other communities can help students work on specific learning needs. Begin by distinguishing gaps in understanding from the situations that make the student feel anxious.
2. Break Down the Material Into Manageable Pieces
Math anxiety does not only affect students who are falling behind. The University of Cambridge’s research also describes students with normal to high math achievement who experience anxiety. Ask where your child feels confident and where they would like more explanation.
Because new math concepts often build on earlier ones, gaps in understanding can make later lessons confusing. Reviewing an earlier concept can help a student make sense of the next step.
One practical approach is to revisit a concept the student already understands, then introduce a small next step. Work through an example together and give the student time to explain their thinking before adding more difficulty.
Families and teachers can coordinate this support around the student’s current schoolwork. Where additional help is useful, focus it on the concepts the student needs to understand rather than simply adding more questions.
Keep tasks manageable, allow questions and avoid making speed the main measure of success. Adjust the amount and difficulty of practice to the student’s understanding and response.
3. Practice Regularly
Choose short practice sessions with a clear purpose, such as working through one type of fraction problem or reviewing a method used in class. A predictable routine can help families make time for learning without turning every session into a test.
Start with a familiar example and build from there. If a task becomes overwhelming, pause, ask what is confusing and adjust the next step rather than insisting that the student push through unchanged.
Regular practice is one part of academic support, rather than a guaranteed solution to anxiety. The Tackling Maths Anxiety resources, developed with University of Exeter psychologists, discuss supportive learning relationships, a growth mindset and ways to respond to setbacks.
A local tutor can help organise this practice, explain difficult material and adapt lessons to the student’s needs. Discuss the format and pace that work for your child, including whether lessons at home would be a comfortable option.
Supporting a child with math involves understanding, confidence and problem-solving skills. Celebrate a useful question, a new strategy or a clearer explanation, as well as a correct answer.
Progress may be uneven. Keep expectations realistic and work with your child and their teacher to review what is helping and what needs to change.
If your child avoids practice altogether, our article on when children resist math work offers further ideas for parents.
If your child needs help understanding math, contact Prep Academy Tutors to discuss one-on-one academic support. Our tutors can work on learning priorities, explanations and practice without promising a particular outcome or treatment for anxiety.