Overcome Maths Anxiety
I’ve made no secret about the fact that I struggled with Maths since primary school and this is one of the main reasons why I started Premier Tuition Centre.
I first began to experience Maths anxiety when I was in Senior Infants!
Although I was a smart child and was never considered to be a candidate for additional support at school (in fact, I used to help out in these classes when I was in 6th Class) I silently struggled with Maths for the duration of my time in school, primary and secondary, and developed really bad anxiety towards the subject.
If this sounds like your child, and you want to give them some support before their difficulties worsen, try these 5 tips:
💡 Tip 1
Help your child with their homework every night. It’s not always easy in a busy household but set some quiet time aside so that you can sit with your child each evening. Consistency is key and you might be surprised to find out that the thing they’re struggling with is really easy to solve. For example, when I was in Senior Infants, I panicked when asked to add money. Even though I could add numbers very easily, for some reason it took me a while to understand that adding money was done in the exact same way.
💡 Tip 2
Use lots of concrete materials and hands on activities to help your child develop their problem-solving skills. Every child learns differently. Some children are visual learners while others are tactile/kinesthetic and these children often begin to struggle with Maths when they’re expected to solve problems abstractly (in their heads) before they’re developmentally ready.
💡 Tip 3
Use digital resources to help your child understand new concepts or topics. Parents/caregivers and their children don’t often make for the best teacher-student relationship! Children can get frustrated with their parents and vice versa. Youtube has some great Maths tutorials that might help your child understand a new concept better than if you’re teaching it directly. There are also loads of interactive Maths games available online that make learning and practicing Maths really fun.
💡 Tip 4
Try to incorporate informal Maths activities into your daily routine. This can be easily done through cooking or baking activities but it’s also possible to practice counting, adding and subtracting skills throughout the day. When possible, ask questions like “how much more do I need” or “how much less than…” to help develop their Maths language. Ask your child to help you with the time and get them used to buying items in a shop with money and collecting the change.
💡 Tip 4
Don’t panic if your child doesn’t understand something immediately. Learning takes time and consistency. Putting too much pressure on your child could make the situation worse. If you try these activities and nothing is working, speak to your child’s school and see what they can do to help.
Thinking About Maths Tutoring?
We offer Maths tutoring to primary school pupils from Senior Infants – 6th Class.
Our tutors are fully qualified and experienced but also incredibly kind, patient and supportive.
We use inclusive methodologies to support all learners.
To find out more, click on the link below.