Signs Your Child May Need Extra Math Help

By Chloe, Instructor

For many reasons, math can be an incredibly difficult subject to learn. I’ve written more about that in previous articles, including one from last week, so today I’m going to focus on how you know whether or not your child may be silently struggling with their math learning.

One of the main issues is that because math can be so complicated and frustrating for kids, it’s also a source of shame. Kids feel ashamed that they aren’t as good at math as they should be, or as good as some of their peers, and they feel like they may never be able to master the material. This isn’t true; math is a skill like any other that can be improved with time & effort, but kids don’t always want to hear that, and sometimes they pretend they understand things because they are afraid of being seen as stupid or incapable.

So what are some signs to look for to know if your child may be struggling?

1. They Write Down Answers Without Showing Their Work

   Writing down answers without showing your work isn’t always a sign of math learning gaps, but if the answers are often incorrect, or even if the answers are correct, but your child can’t explain how they got the correct answer, it may be a sign of a larger issue. It’s possible that the issue is minor, and a quick brush-up on the rules will fix the problem, but it’s also possible that a vital piece of prior math knowledge is missing—one that can be very hard to identify without assessing each skill individually. (Mathnasium offers a free math skills assessment that can help with that.)

2. "Zoning Out" or Staring Into Space

   When new information doesn’t make sense, or you are unable to understand how it connects to the information you already know, it can feel like listening to someone speak a foreign language. If you focus really hard, you may be able to understand something, but you’re going to miss the major points—and all of the nuance. Math works the same way. There’s only so long you’ll be able to stay focused before your thoughts begin to drift. If your child seems to frequently “zone out” or get distracted during math lessons, it may be because there are important pieces of information missing from their knowledge database.

3. Finger Counting

   While finger counting can be a very useful way for young kids to learn the concepts of “adding” or “value,” it becomes a less and less effective tool as math grows in complexity. Adding single-digit numbers can be done quickly, but once you get into hundreds, it slows down significantly. Once you’ve moved to multiplication, finger counting becomes a very tedious and inefficient way to solve problems. Unfortunately, it’s also a difficult habit to break, and many kids continue to use finger counting in advanced math just because they never learn a new method.

4. Frustration, Pleading, and Anger

   “I know how to do it, I just don’t want to!” You may have heard that sentence before. Maybe many times. If your child frequently gets irritated or angry at the prospect of doing math homework, it may not actually be because they “just don’t want to.” It may be because doing math—or not being able to do math—makes them feel stupid. It can be incredibly frustrating to look at your work, something you’re “supposed” to be able to do, and have no idea what it means. If you’re sensing anger, frustration, or (in extreme cases) despair when it comes time to do math work, it’s probably time to find additional learning resources.

Any of these symptoms may be evidence that your child needs a bit of extra help with math, and there’s nothing wrong with that. No two people learn the same way or at the same pace, and sometimes a concept just doesn’t make sense until it’s explained in a way that makes sense to you. If your child is exhibiting one or more of these symptoms, it may be time to look into additional resources to maximize your child’s ability to understand the material.