Math anxiety is more than a passing feeling. It can have lasting consequences if left unaddressed. Math anxiety in children can be especially challenging, since younger kids are still learning basic communication and emotional regulation skills. The good news is, there are solutions for kids with math anxiety, and they’re easy to implement with the right support.
Understanding Math Anxiety
Physicians and mental health professionals offer great insights to understand math anxiety. According to Medical News Today, “The term ‘math anxiety‘ describes worry or fear about performing math calculations. A person with math anxiety may feel panicked at the thought of working with numbers, making it harder to think.”
Thinking takes energy and concentration. Math anxiety can actually override working memory. That means, even for kids without learning disabilities, math anxiety makes it difficult to recall what they already know about how to solve math problems. If they have a big test or an important homework assignment, their math anxiety could spike.
Signs of math anxiety include:
- Low Confidence: Kids with math anxiety usually believe they’re not good at math, or that they’ll fail at it. This lowers their confidence and self-esteem, which can impact them in other subjects and outside the classroom.
- Avoidance: The stress that comes with doing math means kids may try to avoid situations that require math skills. With less opportunity to practice their skills, their lack of confidence is reinforced.
- Low grades: If they’re avoiding doing math homework or freeze up during a math test, kids’ grades may take a dive, which is disheartening for children or parents.
Can Math Anxiety Improve?
Yes, math anxiety can improve when properly addressed. The key is to create low-stress learning environments where children can see that making mistakes is a natural part of learning. When kids understand that practicing is what helps their stress improve, they’re more likely to be engaged in the learning process.
How Tutoring Can Help
Tutoring helps with math anxiety because it offers a low-stress, safe place to learn what works and what doesn’t. One of the biggest benefits of tutoring is the personalized support kids receive regularly, including age-appropriate study skills and positive reinforcement. Kids who work with math tutors will see their skills improve from session to session as they overcome challenges together. Tutors understand learning best practices. They can make learning something challenging feel more like an accomplishment, and less like an anxiety trigger.
Encouragement? Support? Find It Here
Coach Kelly LIVE loves helping kids succeed. If you’ve tried lots of ideas, but your Elementary student still shows signs of math anxiety, we can help. Contact us today for a free consultation to learn how our math tutoring services benefit kids of all ages.