Frustration

Have kids who struggle with math homework?  If you’re not a “math person,” research suggests you keep that to yourself. 

A recent New York Times article highlights a study published in American Educator, in which nearly 500 children in 29 schools across several states were surveyed and observed to determine their level of math anxiety.  Parents of these students also participated by filling out a survey designed to examine behavioral habits during homework time, as well as the parents’ beliefs and anxiety levels concerning math as well. 

Our children take on more from us than we probably realize; it is often entertaining (or frightening) to hear phrases and see body language mimicked.  As kids mature they often adopt their parents’ beliefs on a wide swath of topics:  Republican vs. Democrat.  Ford vs. Chevy. 

Bears vs. Packers.

It turns out math anxiety hasn’t escaped the list of transferrable values.  It’s estimated that math anxiety affects 10-20% of Americans.    To no one’s surprise, the study revealed that the more that math anxious parents worked with their kids, the worse the kids performed.  There are several variables swirling around the math-anxious parent and the underperforming child working on homework together…their combined effect results in a lose-lose scenario for up to 1 in 5 American kids. 

1. Changing the game.  Dr. Harris Cooper of Duke University noted in American Educator that parents’ math anxiety increases dramatically when schools introduce new methods of teaching.  Enter Common Core-based curricula. 
2. No available RAM.  A computer has a fixed (but usually expandable) amount of memory that allows it to perform several tasks at once.  If you try to do too much, the computer will walk instead of run.  The human brain works the same way in what researchers call “working memory.”  This is the ability to handle several tasks at once, or one at a time while ordering and prioritizing the upcoming tasks.  Students who are math anxious are not only trying to solve the problem, they are worrying about solving the problem at the same time, chewing up valuable brainpower. 
3. The power of the dark side.  Worrying about math not only hinders a child’s ability to do the actual math, but routes brain activity to the right amygdala, the portion of the brain critical to processing negative emotions. 

There are a couple pieces of good news, however.  The study discovered math anxiety in parents and the resulting anxiety and/or underachievement in their children in no way translated to issues with reading, when compared to peers with non-anxious parents. 

In addition, if you are a math anxious parent, there are steps you can take to assist your child in relieving their own anxiety or not developing it at all. 

1. If you’re not a math person, don’t necessarily brag about it.  You are your kid’s role model; what reason would they have to not emulate you, whether positive or negative?
2. Ensure your child’s fundamental skills.  While most math anxiety begins in middle school, it can begin much earlier if a child is lacking a strong foundation in numerical fluency.  Mathnasium’s customized learning plans address these skill gaps FIRST, and then build upon that foundation.
3. Remove time pressure.  Here’s 60 multiplication problems.  You have 60 seconds.  GO!  For most kids this is a miserable experience.  Instead of teaching the child why 7x6 is not 48, it teaches them they not only got more wrong than the kid next to them, they were slower, as well. 
4. Give children the opportunity to address their emotions concerning math through other avenues such as writing. 
5. Use supportive, constructive language while your child is experiencing a math struggle, especially if your child is prone to giving up.

At Mathnasium each child’s experience is as unique as they are.  Their initial (untimed!) verbal and written assessment will drive their customized learning plan focused specifically on their skill gaps.  These gaps are addressed in the order of the most primary to the most advanced to build the strong foundation that will allow them to meet and exceed their current grade level standards.  The same formula applies for advanced students, too! 

Students come to Mathnasium for one-hour sessions a few times a week.  While there is the structure and expectation that they are working the whole hour, they do so with a variety of activities (assignments in their learning plan, a workout book, games, incentives, etc.) designed to keep kids engaged.  That being said, there are no “due dates” on student work; as each child and their customized learning plan differs, they work through the material to the best of their ability.

One of the best outcomes of a Mathnasium enrollment is confidence a child builds while they’re here.  A majority of students come to us with a less-than-positive attitude about math, and sometimes school in general.  Over the course of a 12-month enrollment, instructors and parents both begin to see a change in attitude and an increase in confidence that stems from small, repeated successes.  These small successes bring larger ones, and the “snowball effect” is set in motion. 

Mathnasium instructors focus on what a child CAN do to build the skills to solve what they can’t do at that moment.  Call (630) 668–MATH (6284) to learn more and schedule your trial session today!