Many young people worry about math. According to some experts, the reputation of math as being challenging causes children to have greater anxiety about it than other subjects.
Whatever the reason, worry hinders children’s ability to learn. This is due to the fact that worry impairs a child’s capacity for concentration, fact recall, and problem-solving under control. They begin thinking negative ideas about themselves, such as “I’m terrible at this,” which exacerbates stress.
When working under stress, students often forget to retain information, or struggle to answer questions they actually know the solution to when not put under pressure. This is known as math anxiety.
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What causes Math Anxiety?
For a variety of reasons, kids may find math to be scary. The notion that arithmetic is just for geniuses has already been brought up.
One reason could be that, unlike reading, youngsters may not have formed favourable connections with math before beginning school. While parents read to their kids and support their reading development, parents rarely engage in recreational math activities with their children at home. The concepts that youngsters confront when learning arithmetic in school are frequently completely new to them, and the only preparation they may have had was messages they may have gleaned from others, such as the notion that math is very difficult.
The fact that there are right and wrong answers in math might be daunting to children who are already a little worried or fearful of failing, which is a similar mechanism to test anxiety. For fearful children, the way we assess math abilities is even more scary. For instance, there are no timed drills in history class.
Helping Math Anxiety
Take an Online Course
Taking online high school courses, such as MHF4U Grade 12 Adv. Functions, are a great option for those with math anxiety, due to the fact that many online schools allow students to work at their own pace, with deadlines not often set between the strict classroom timelines set in brick and mortar schools.
With online courses, a student can take their time with questions and coursework, pause and take a breather, and work at their own pace, which can help to ease their anxieties.
Before Starting Your Test, Jot Down Crucial Facts
Having a mnemonic is a fantastic first step, but it’s a good idea to jot down the information or equations that you will need to remember as soon as you get a copy of the test or start working on your nightly homework. You can then refer to them if you need clarification or comfort.
Try Thinking Aloud
For children with greater verbal ability, simply being able to lay out their strategy and provide a good explanation of what they want to do and how they should do it, as well as possibly receiving corrective feedback along the process, can be quite beneficial.
Praise Goes a Long Way
Parents and teachers can help children become more resilient learners by modifying the way we reward them and redefining what constitutes a successful learning experience. Many children struggle with math, but this does not mean they will never learn it. Praise them for the effort they put in, not for the grade they receive.