Math anxiety can easily undermine the hard work students have invested throughout the year, not only lowering their classroom grades but severely impacting their scores on standardized tests and jeopardizing their chances to take advanced classes or enroll in the schools of their choice.
Math anxiety is a well-documented phenomenon and reducing it can help prevent these ill-effects. Students can reduce their math anxiety in two ways. First, by reviewing the mistakes they make on homework assignments and practice exams and figuring out where their challenge lies. Second by following three simple steps leading up to the test.
When reviewing their errors on homework, past tests and test prep work, students might find their mistakes can typically be grouped into one or more of three categories. These can be readily remembered as the "three C's:"
Students can address the root cause of their math anxiety by reviewing past assignments and practice tests and determining if their mistakes came from one of these areas. Often, they will find the source of their apprehension lies in difficulties with one or more of the three C's. After identifying where exactly a student's weaknesses lie - with understanding the concept, comprehending what is being asked or rushing and not paying attention to details - adults can then help address them. Dealing with the root cause allows students to move on from anxiety and helps them perform at the level of their true potential.
As a first step, parents, teachers or private instructors can sit down with students and look at the types of errors made in homework assignments, regular tests and practice exams. It's a process that can be helpful anytime during the academic year, especially when students become anxious about math, and is particularly important when it's time to start preparing for standardized tests.
To address Concept challenges, students can be asked to break questions down into a series of meaningful parts, resolve these parts individually, and then put them back together. Children struggling with both Concept and Comprehension can be asked to read troublesome questions aloud. This helps to strengthen the mechanics of understanding by invoking different parts of the brain. Another helpful approach is to ask students to reframe difficult questions in their own words or explain what they think the question is asking.
To help students overcome Calculation difficulties beyond rote practice, it's crucial to make sure a child's written work is neat and clear. Neat penmanship, orderly columns and spacing between problems on the scratch paper makes a huge difference in children's ability to think clearly and follow their own good reasoning.
If your child has difficulties in any of these areas, Mathnasium of Parker can help in all three. Our program is designed to find and address children's challenges and deficiencies with various math concepts. Working on our proprietary curriculum, students gain mastery and understanding of the concepts they didn't know or were weak in before attending our program.
Our specially-trained math instructors work with each student to help them improve their comprehension of various math problems both on their homework and test prep materials as well as in our own curriculum worksheets. They do this through careful questioning that allows the student to explain what they need to do each step of the way. Additionally, instructors work with children to help them improve the legibility and organization of their mathematical work so they gain precision and attention to details. Students are encouraged to slow down as they work and are required to find their mistakes and redo problems they miss. As students begin to see success with our curriculum, their confidence starts to return and that renewed sense of assurance also helps to reduce test or math anxiety.
As the day of the test approaches, "children should also take some common-sense steps that can be applied to all types of tests," Larry Martinek, Chief Instructional Officer at Mathnasium notes. His recommended top three steps are:
Studies have shown math anxiety impacts up to half of all students in various ways. However, with the proper approach, it can be effectively addressed and need not be a permanent hindrance to performance. Call us today 303-840-1184 to learn more about how we can help your child overcome math anxiety.
