Now that the school year is underway, your child probably has a good sense of how they’re doing in math. But it’s also important to consider how they’re feeling about it. Are they having difficulty with any of the concepts or getting frustrated with their homework? At the first signs of these or any other forms of math anxiety, it’s a good idea to seek out the help of a math tutor or supplemental math program to build up their skills and confidence. This will help reduce anxiety in your child and set them up for success this school year and beyond. Here’s how:
Students get the focused attention they need.
When a student falls behind in class it’s difficult to catch up because math concepts build on each other. It’s important for them to get a good grasp of what they’re learning at each stage before they move on to what comes next, and this often requires more individual attention than a school can provide. A good math-learning program will identify the areas where improvement is needed and give the student what they need to thrive. In the relaxed environment that private instruction provides, students are encouraged to ask questions and learn at their own pace. This will reduce anxiety and boost their confidence. A math tutor can even act as a bridge between the school and the parents, which lets the child know that their math success is being taken seriously.
Summer learning loss is addressed and remedied.
Most children lose some of their math knowledge over the summer if they didn’t stay on top of it. So when they return to school it’s important to address any gaps in their learning right away. By getting extra math help early in the school year, the impact of the “summer slide” can be lessened, along with any math anxiety that results from it. Enrolling your child in a math-tutoring program will enable them to stay on top of their math skills so they can achieve success throughout the school year. Not only will this reduce anxiety in your child, it will most likely alleviate some of yours as well.
Doing math problems with a tutor has been proven to reduce math anxiety.
According to a study from the Stanford University School of Medicine, tutoring actually altered the fear circuits in children’s brains. The study, published in The Journal of Neuroscience, was the first to document an effective treatment for math anxiety in children. “The most exciting aspect of our findings is that cognitive tutoring not only improves performance, but is also anxiety-reducing,” said the study’s senior author, Vinod Menon, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences. “It was surprising that we could, in fact, get remediation of math anxiety.” Math anxiety can continue throughout one’s life and even prevent someone from pursuing advanced math and science classes as well as math-based careers. So getting outside math help will not only help your child this school year, it will serve them in the future as well.
Students can learn to love math.
Children who struggle with math or who aren’t challenged enough will eventually take on a negative view of the subject if they don’t get the support they need. This is where a good supplemental math program can make a difference — by turning math into a fun learning activity that leads to true understanding instead of something that overwhelms or bores them. A good tutoring program is able to use various methods of instruction to see how a student learns best, because each child learns differently. When math becomes fun for kids and something they believe they’re good at, their math anxiety subsides and their confidence goes up, not only in math but in all their subjects. And they’re able to tap into their true potential.
Mathnasium gives students the math skills they need to reduce anxiety.
Whether your child needs to catch up, keep up, or get ahead in math, Mathnasium’s individualized instruction will address their unique learning needs and goals. In other words, we’ll work to eliminate their math anxiety head-on. We’ll create a customized learning plan for them based on an individual assessment, and our highly trained instructors will teach them in the way they learn best, for true understanding. Mathnasium helps students excel in math, develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and gain confidence for a promising future.
To get your child started at Mathnasium, call or visit your local learning center today! http://www.mathnasium.com
Sources:
Erin Digitale, Tutoring Relieves Math Anxiety, Changes Fear Circuits in Children, Stanford Medicine News Center, September 8, 2015
Zarina Gearty, Math Anxiety is Real; How Teachers Can Help Calm the Nerves, Math For All, 2023
NYU Dispatch, Removing the Fear of Numbers with Innovative Teaching and Tutoring, April 23, 2018
