Overcoming maths anxiety is essential for helping your child build a positive relationship with numbers and problem-solving. Whether you are a home-educating mother or your child attends school, maths anxiety can hold them back. With the right approach, you can turn your child’s fear into confidence and help them succeed.
What Is Maths Anxiety?
Maths anxiety is a fear or stress response to maths-related tasks. It might stem from a fear of making mistakes, negative past experiences, or feeling overwhelmed by complex concepts. Children with maths anxiety often experience physical symptoms, such as a racing heart or sweating, alongside mental blocks that prevent them from engaging with maths effectively.
1. Acknowledge and Address Their Fears
The first step in overcoming maths anxiety is understanding what your child finds challenging or intimidating. Sit down with them and ask about their feelings. This helps you identify specific areas of concern and shows your child that their emotions are valid.
Real-Life Example:
12-year-old Mia froze during maths tests because she didn’t understand fractions and was embarrassed about making mistakes. Her parents created a safe space for her to express her feelings, which made her feel supported. This understanding formed the foundation for building her confidence.
Quick Tip:
Encourage open conversations where your child can express their struggles without fear of criticism. This is the first step to helping them overcome their fears.
Learn More:
Visit Mind.org for tips on supporting children with anxiety in general.
Related Blog: Practical Tips to Help Your Child Feel Stronger in Maths
2. Celebrate Effort Over Results
Encourage your child to focus on effort rather than perfection. Remind them that making mistakes is a natural part of learning. Celebrate their attempts, even when their answers are not correct, to shift their mindset towards progress rather than fear of failure.
Example Strategy:
Mia’s parents praised her for trying her best on challenging problems, regardless of whether her answers were right. Over time, this helped her approach maths with greater confidence and less fear of making mistakes.
Practical Tip:
Use phrases like, “I’m proud of how hard you worked on this,” instead of only acknowledging correct answers.
Explore Further:
Check out Growth Mindset Activities from Big Life Journal for ideas on how to encourage perseverance and effort in your child.
Related Blog: Building Confidence in Maths
3. Provide Regular Practice with Positive Reinforcement
Consistent practice helps make challenging maths topics feel less daunting. However, practice sessions should be short, relaxed, and positive. Always acknowledge your child’s effort and celebrate small wins to keep them motivated.
Practical Idea:
Introduce a simple reward system. For example, praise your child or give them a small reward, such as stickers, for completing practice problems.
Pro Tip for Home Educators:
Integrate maths into daily routines like cooking or budgeting to show how maths applies to everyday life.
Learn More:
Explore NRICH Maths for free, engaging maths resources to support consistent practice.
4. Use Real-Life Scenarios to Make Maths Relatable
Linking maths to everyday situations can make the subject more relatable and less intimidating. Real-life examples help children understand abstract concepts in a practical way.
Example:
Mia’s parents used pizza slices to explain fractions. This hands-on approach made it easier for her to grasp the concept and reduced her anxiety.
Practical Tip:
Incorporate maths into daily life, such as measuring ingredients while cooking, calculating change during shopping, or dividing items equally. These activities show your child how maths is used in real life, making it more approachable.
Discover Ideas:
Find more creative ways to make maths relatable at NRICH Maths.
5. Seek Professional Support
If your child continues to struggle with maths, consider hiring a tutor who specialises in building confidence. A skilled tutor can provide tailored support, helping your child learn at their own pace and in a way that suits their needs.
Real-Life Transformation:
Mia’s parents sought the help of a tutor, and within a few months, her test anxiety reduced significantly. She began to enjoy maths and tackled problems with greater confidence.
Looking for a Tutor?
I’m Najma, a qualified and experienced maths tutor, dedicated to helping children build confidence in maths. My personalised one-to-one and group tutoring sessions are designed to suit your child’s needs and empower them to succeed.
Related Blog: Finding the Right Tutor for Your Child’s Success
6. Cultivate a Growth Mindset
Teach your child that intelligence is not fixed and that they can improve with practice and effort. A growth mindset helps children see challenges as opportunities to learn rather than obstacles to fear.
How to Encourage This Mindset:
- Use phrases like, “You are improving because you worked so hard on this!”
- Avoid saying, “You are just not good at maths,” as it reinforces a fixed mindset.
7. Build a Routine
A regular schedule helps children feel secure and reduces their anxiety about maths. For home-educating mothers, this could mean setting aside a specific time each day for maths lessons. For school-attending children, you could create a routine for completing maths homework or revising for tests.
Practical Tip:
Ensure the routine includes breaks, as mental fatigue can increase anxiety. A short walk or snack break can help your child return to their work with a clearer mind.
8. Introduce Mindfulness Techniques
Mindfulness can help children manage the stress associated with maths anxiety. Breathing exercises, relaxation techniques, or short mindfulness sessions before tackling maths can create a calmer approach to learning.
Practical Resource:
Learn mindfulness techniques specifically for children at Mindful.org.
9. Build Confidence with Technology
There are countless apps and online tools designed to make maths learning fun and engaging. Using these can help reduce anxiety by presenting maths in an interactive way.
Try These Apps:
- Prodigy Maths – A free, engaging game-based platform.
- Mathway – For step-by-step help solving problems.
Related Blog: Maths Tutoring for Children: 7 Strategies to Boost Confidence and Success
Conclusion: Building Confidence Takes Time
Helping your child build confidence in maths is a journey that requires patience, encouragement, and consistent effort. By acknowledging their fears, celebrating their effort, and connecting learning to everyday life, you can support your child in overcoming challenges and developing a positive attitude towards maths.
Ready to Transform Your Child’s Maths Experience?
If you are looking for expert support, I can help. Visit najmathemathstutor.co.uk to learn more or book a session today. Together, we can help your child build confidence in maths and unlock their full potential.