5 Reasons Why Your Child May Be Struggling in Math (And What You Can Do About It)

If your child experienced another difficult year with their math courses, they are not alone. COVID-19 continued to present unique learning challenges, but there may be additional reasons why your child was less than enthused when time for math class came around. We will examine 5 reasons your child may be struggling with learning math, and what you can do about it.

1. Math-Related Learning Obstacles

If you child ever expresses having an intense feeling of dread or anxiousness when they are receiving math instruction or completing math homework, they may have be experiencing math anxiety. This can make it difficult for your child to focus and concentrate on their math lessons, causing them to fall behind.

Just as there is dyslexia that causes difficulty with reading and writing, there is also a learning disability called dyscalculia. With dyscalculia, there is difficulty with processing numbers and number problems. It's normal to experience some learning challenges, but if your child is exhibiting concerning behaviors or heightened stress when it comes to math it may be best to meet with a professional for an official diagnosis.

2. Missed Math Foundations

If your child begins their math education with a weak math foundation, it may be tough for them to successfully build on missing math skills. Oftentimes, kids move through each math topic with only partial understanding, digesting just enough to pass the next math test or move to the next grade. They may be able to get by for a while, but over time, the learning gaps will prove to be too great, and they will hit a roadblock as they move into more advanced material.

If their grades begin to decline, so will their self-confidence and their attitude towards math. The good news is, it’s not an indication of their ability. It just requires identifying the missed learning foundations, filling them in and rebuilding your child’s confidence to get them back on track.

3. Viewing Math as Unrelatable

Unlike other subjects such as literature or history where topics can be open to multiple correct interpretations, math is typically an absolute. There may be more than one way to solve a math problem, but there can only be one correct answer to the problem. This way of thinking may make it difficult for your child to relate to math. It may be harder for a child to engage if they are unable to connect it to a part of their daily life. 

Try to make math more relatable by helping your child see how math is involved in their everyday tasks or favorite activities, from video games and cooking to the latest apps they use daily on their phone.

4. Negative Perception of Math

Due to early experiences your child may have developed a negative attitude towards math. They may have found it too challenging, uninteresting or received messaging that math was going to be difficult for them. As they are introduced to new and more challenging math concepts, it may only reinforce their belief math is too hard or that they are not capable of learning math due to their previous struggles. At Mathnasium, we will work with your child to reverse the negative messaging and restore their self-confidence in their math abilities through proven methods and one-on-one guidance.

5. Lack of Consistency

Becoming proficient in math requires maximum effort and being consistent. Math is not a subject you can simply pick up and master in one day. Just like any great musician or athlete would tell you, practice makes perfect. Learning math requires practice and a consistent time commitment to master it. At Mathnasium, students don’t move on to learning a new math skill until they’ve mastered the previous skill. This is to ensure the student has a true understanding and is not relying solely on memorization or repetition. Our expert instructors are committed to working with each student until they achieve mastery and have unshakable confidence in their math skills.

Our Mathnasium center specializes in providing expert instruction to students in grades 2 through 12. We understand that schedules are dynamic these days and you and your child need tutoring availability that is flexible. We offer individualized instruction in-center as well as online tutoring through our Mathnasium@Home option, at no extra cost to you, where we still provide live, virtual instruction for your child to learn wherever they are.

If you child is having difficulty in math for any of the above reasons, and more, we are ready and available to partner with you and your child to turn their struggles into success! Give us a call today or reach out to us via textt or online to schedule your child’s free math assessment.