Fear of math is the most common problem for kids at school. See how to help a child with fear of math.
Oh that math!
Mathematics, Maths, M. – it has many expressions, but for one scary face. At the very thought of it, people get weak and feel like running away where the heck they are. Fear of math takes over them.
How to overcome math anxiety?
I would most like to say – come on!
There is nothing to be afraid of!
But I know it won’t work that way.
Where does the fear of mathematics come from?
Fear is often aroused not by the subject, but by the teacher. A teacher who cannot answer a student’s questions. A teacher whose flexibility of mind has stiffened, making him unable to go beyond the usual, “tried and tested” way of explaining and in response to the student’s questions he says the same thing over and over again only louder and sharper.
I will honestly admit that I began to understand such teachers a little more when I heard how little time they have to go through all the material. They really try, as much as they can, to convey knowledge in the best form. That’s why they use the universal translation method.
Unfortunately, universality doesn’t work here, and a large number of students don’t understand what the teacher is saying, and this discourages them more and more from math. And math, after all, has been with us since the very beginning not only of school, but of life!
Right after our first breath, our body is weighed and measured. Later we use numbers to determine the size of our feet to buy shoes. And to buy them, we first learn the meanings of coins, which are also numbers, as if we don’t look at them. ◡̈
Then at school, in the youngest grades, we start counting, solving some simple tasks, and even determining some X. Completely not understanding what we are doing and why, but the lady draws smiling suns in the notebook, the parents are pleased with the talented child. Well, cool.
Later they begin, the so-called abstractions – the dreaded algebra (more Xs and Ys) and still those functions (why do they matter to anyone?).
We begin to wonder about the meaning – why the X, what is the point of functions? After all, everyone says we should learn it because it will be useful in our lives! But how do we transfer this to everyday life? And why doesn’t the teacher explain it (but that’s explained above). Total abstraction. It only gets worse with time, and teachers don’t answer questions clearly. There appears in us not only resistance and reluctance, but also fear of mathematics. On top of that, when asked to explain a task, we get the same words again (only a little louder and rougher) that we didn’t understand the first time.
Fear of mathematics – how to get rid of it?
If you are a parent of a child who is afraid of math, start by trying to understand it. It is likely that the child himself does not know where this emotion comes from. A parent who is also upset with the child about math only reinforces this fear of math in the child. So try to look at your child differently, try to understand him. He is not to blame for the fact that the teacher does not speak “his language”.
Personally, I use the term “the basis of everything” instead of “the queen of sciences”, because the term “queen”, however, connotes something powerful and slightly intimidating – and this is also what I suggest to you. Make math something accessible , something everyday, such as in math games and activities. Try to show your child that math surrounds us everywhere, e.g. when you are shopping, pay attention to the big promotional posters and play counting percentages. This is math in everyday life.
When I was a child I was very fond of the “car” game, which consisted of adding and multiplying the numbers on the license plates of the cars in front of us. Maybe your child will also like this game? ッ
A good solution is to find additional outside help for your child. Tutors are often people who have a passion for math and are happy to share their knowledge with others. They provide one-to-one instruction, which helps to focus on the student’s needs. Tutors also have the advantage that they are unlikely to be tired teachers and have fresher, more flexible minds, so they can adapt the way they translate to each person!
If, on the other hand, you are the kind of person who feels fear of mathematics, I invite you to join me for lessons. Befriending people with this subject goes very well for me. I will try to help you too! ♡
Fear of math – get rid of it with me!
I am Adrianna – a mathematician by passion and education. Studying mathematics was my childhood dream, which I managed to fulfill at the University of Opole. In the meantime, I also studied at Universidade de Évora in Portugal and Università del Salento in Italy.
I’ve been happily tutoring for about 10 years (in a wide range – from the first grades of elementary school to the end of high school), and it’s a lot of fun. Especially when I see students becoming more confident in their lessons. I also prepare for the 8th grade and high school exams. And when I get news about the results, it simply makes my day! The successes of the students are, in a way, my successes and show that this work is meaningful. So I want to pass on my knowledge, to the widest possible audience! ?
How do I overcome fear of math in students?
Mathematics is very interesting and you can really tell it or teach it in many interesting (or not ?) ways. And this is what I try to do in my classes – show different ways of solving tasks, so that the student can choose “his way”. Of course, everything is within the framework of the answer key, so that, however, class grades and exam results are very good. ?
During lessons, I use a graphics tablet so the student can see what I am writing and drawing on the monitor. I use colors to make it easier for him to grasp what’s going on and highlight important things.
Importantly, I conduct lessons on a 1:1 basis. I try to get to know the child enough to know how to communicate with him. When I see that a child is stressed or simply afraid to ask questions (which is quite common in math lessons), I conduct the class in such a way as to get rid of that fear as quickly as possible.
In my experience, I have seen that teaching from a position of camaraderie rather than teaching brings very good results. The fear of mathematics goes away with time, and in its place is often the usual joy for a math lesson (with me). Of course, when necessary, I will call the student to order. As they say – on his head he will not let himself go ?
Do you already know how to overcome your fear of math? If not, you are welcome to tutoring!
The school year is just around the corner. There’s no need to wait until your stomachs start hurting again before the first midterm. Let the fear of math stop scaring you! Start dealing with it from the very beginning of the school year!
I will be very happy to help you or your child with this! I invite you to individual math tutoring online with access to the tutor (that is to me 🙂 from September! The price is approximately 30 euro per hour (but it is not a rigid thing. We can get along 🙂 I tutor maths in English of course.
Greetings warmly!
Adrianna Szymanowicz
Please do not hesitate to write me:
adaszymanowicz@gmail.com
or on messenger 🙂
See you there! 🙂
