5 Ways to Overcome your own Math Anxiety and Stress and Help Your Child

Do decimals and percentages make your head spin? Do you get dizzy and stressed out with the mere suggestion of algebraic equations?  If numbers are not your strong suit, how do you begin to help your child with their math homework without having flashbacks to the dreaded timed tests you took as a child? As parents, your children look to you for guidance when they are confused and struggling with their math. You don’t want to appear inept in front of your children. More importantly, you don’t want to confuse your children even more.

Many parents did not excel in basic math when they were in school. Others have not thought about higher concepts like algebra and trigonometry in years. Feeling inadequate about your own mathematical abilities does not need to stifle your attempts to help your son or daughter. These 5 approaches will help you assist your child with homework without causing you to break into a cold sweat.

1.     Time, Empathy, and Encouragement
Take a few deep breathes and say, “It’s been awhile since I’ve done this math too. Give me a few minutes to look this over before I try to help you with it.” Much of math anxiety comes from the added pressure of doing the math quickly. Taking the time to process the problem and analyze it deeply will reduce the stress.

Acknowledge that math can be difficult. Try to tackle it like something challenging you might do for fun, such as a puzzle. Simply letting your child know that you understand what they are feeling and can relate to their frustration is sometimes enough of a motivator to give your child that little push they need to keep trying. Remind them that although this challenge seems insurmountable now, with perseverance and patience, they will eventually master the task. Reminding them will also remind yourself to stay calm while working it out.

 
2.     Review Prior Schoolwork
Math is typically taught sequentially. Give yourself the opportunity to look at prior lessons. Try reviewing previously completed worksheets or assignments that detail similar math problems. Walk through each step of the problem with your daughter or son, and have them explain to you what they think is occurring at each point in the example. Breaking the process into small chunks eases the anxiety. Take notes while talking through the process to help with comprehension. Big, complex, scary-looking problems don’t look so overwhelming when you start with what you know and take it one step at a time.

3.     Review Key Vocabulary
Unfamiliar words heighten anxiety. Don’t know the difference between an equilateral triangle and an obtuse triangle? Google it! Almost any math word can be found online if you search with simple keyword phrases. Read our article about math vocabulary for more tips about using correct math words.

4.     Try Approaching the Problem Differently
Some learners are visual while others are auditory or kinesthetic. Kinesthetic learners learn best when moving and touching the material.  Difficult math concepts don’t seem as difficult when you approach them using your best learning modality.  Try drawing a picture to see it or reading the problem out loud to hear it. Often, both children and parents respond better to alternative ways of thinking about the problem. When you think creatively about different approaches to the problem you not only lessen your own anxiety, you show your child alternative problem solving techniques. Read our article about learning styles to help determine your child's learning style.

Here are a few examples of different approaches.

• Basic fractions can be taught using pizza, fruit and other household objects. Using actual objects works very well with kinesthetic and visual learners.
• Word problems can often seem convoluted and misleading. Try representing the problem as a set of pictures to form a more simplified story to solve.
• Write out procedural steps for a multi-operational calculation before beginning to help your child reason through the process. Auditory learners may want to then read the steps out loud. Writing out the steps also aids in mathematical reasoning, a critical skill described in a previous article.
• Auditory learners will benefit from mnemonic, or memory, devices such as, “PEMDAS,"  to lessen the stress of trying to remember steps or information. “PEMDAS” stands for Parenthesis, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, Subtraction and is used to recall the order of operations in math equations.  Feel free to make up your own mnemonic device and get your child to help. Making it yourself helps make it more memorable. Make it silly. Nothing takes away stress like a good belly laugh. Here are a few common mnemonics to get you started:
  • Steps of Long Division: Dad, Mom, Sister, Brother, Rover (Divide, Multiply, Subtract, Bring Down, Remainder).
  • Order of Operations: Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally, (Parentheses, Exponents, Multiply, Divide, Add, Subract), Left to Right (this latter is often left off and confuses children into thinking Multiplication always comes first).
  • Letters and Values for Roman Numerals in Value Order: I Value Xylophones Like Cows Dig Milk (I=1, V=5, X=10, L= 50, C=100, D=500, M=1,000).
  • Metric System Prefixes in Value Order: King Henry Died Drinking Chocolate Milk (Kilo=x 1000, Hecta=x 100,Deca=x 10, Deci=x 0.1, Centi=x 0.01, Milli=x 0.001).
  • Trigonometry Formulas (where O=opposite, A=adjacent, and H=hypotenuse): Two Old Angels Skipped Over Heaven Carrying Ancient Harps (Tangent = O/A, Sine = O/H, Cosine = A/H). Or just SOH CAH TOA.

5.       Enlist Mathnasium for Support
Getting outside support is a great way to stop a cycle of anxiety, stress, arguments, and further anxiety. If you and your child both dread math homework, and you both grow agitated and angry when you try to help, call us 303-979-9077. We are here to Stop the Tears, Arguments & Whining During Math Homework . The article also looks at different types of outside support. You may also want to read about the warning signs of imminent math struggles and look at our checklist to use when looking for and comparing various alternatives to help your child.

Our specially trained, math instructors at Mathnasium of Littleton can help! We will develop a custom-tailored learning plan using our proprietary curriculum specifically created just for your child based on their needs and goals, and we will even provide homework help, too!

Call (303) 979-9077 to schedule your child’s comprehensive math assessment today.