What Is Math Anxiety And How Is It Affecting My Child

The Dropkick Math Team on January 11, 2022

What Is Math Anxiety And How Is It Affecting My Child

What Is Math Anxiety And How Is It Affecting My Child

Mathematics is a skill that people use throughout their lives, so children must learn this skill at school. Unfortunately, both children and adults can feel stressed and anxious when doing math. People who experience these feelings of stress when faced with math-related situations may be experiencing what is called “math anxiety.”

Math anxiety can affect anyone at any stage in life because it is related to poor math ability in school and later adulthood. So, if you have ever felt stressed or anxious when dealing with a math-related situation or have seen your child becoming stressed when doing math homework, it may be math anxiety.

You Are Not Alone

You are not on your own if you have ever experienced stress or anxiety when dealing with math. Many people can feel extremely nervous and overwhelmed when faced with a situation that requires mathematics. But math anxiety is more than just a feeling of nervousness when facing problems. Nervousness is a sensible reaction to a problem that is actually scary or poses a danger. However, anxiety does not make sense when dealing with math. This would mean that a person may feel anxious even though he or she knows there is no real reason to feel threatened or in danger. 

Anxiety can cause physical symptoms such as racing heart or sweating. With such physical reactions, many people who have math anxiety tend to avoid situations in which they have to do math. Children with math anxiety will often have poor math skills because their first instinct is to avoid the problem. Adults with math anxiety are less likely to succeed in careers relating to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Understanding Math Anxiety

It is essential to understand how math anxiety first appears especially when diagnosing a child. It is important to understand what is happening in the brain when a child feels anxious about math so a parent can best help their child with math anxiety.

Until recently, educators thought that math anxiety first appeared when children learned complicated mathematics (such as algebra). So, this would mean that young children who do not yet do complicated math would not experience math anxiety. However, recent research shows that some children as young as six years old say that they feel anxious about math.

A recent study examined 154 children in grades 1 and 2 who were asked questions such as,”How do you feel when taking a big test in your math class?” The children were required to indicate how nervous they felt by pointing to a position on a scale ranging from very nervous to calm. After answering these questions, children took a math test that measured their math abilities. It was found that almost half of the children who participated in this study reported that they were at least somewhat nervous about doing math, and the children with higher math anxiety got worse scores on the math test. This research can show that math anxiety and the relationship between math anxiety and math ability can develop when children are very young.

How It Develops

Although research has found that math anxiety and math abilities are related, no study so far has been able to tell which comes first. In other words, it is not yet known if poor math skills cause anxiety or if having math anxiety makes people worse at math.

Educators do have two ideas about how math anxiety may develop. The first is that children who have difficulty with learning numbers when they are very young are more likely to develop math anxiety when they start going to school. The other idea is that math anxiety develops in children who experience certain social situations that can influence the child’s thoughts or feelings. This means the child’s emotions, behaviours, or opinions are affected by things that other people say or do. One small study has shown that teachers with high math anxiety are more likely to have students with poorer math achievements at the end of the school year. This study helps to show that the way the teacher acted somehow affected the students’ math ability.

Changes In The Brain

To better help a child suffering from math anxiety, a parent must understand the changes in the brain while doing math. Researchers believe that the human brain can only process a certain amount of information at a time. Working memory, the system in the brain that allows us to process information, is part of the human memory system that will enable us to remember and think about several things simultaneously. This skill is critical for doing math. For example, when a teacher presents a math problem, students must hold all the numbers in their minds, consider the steps needed to solve the problem and write out the answer simultaneously. Researchers believe that when people feel anxious, the math anxiety they feel is using up some of their working memory, so there is not as much leftover to help solve the math problem. If these people did not feel so anxious, they might have more working memory to solve the math problem.

Various studies have supported the idea that math anxiety uses working memory. Researchers have reported that students who have a high level of working memory perform better on math tests compared to those with a low level of working memory.

A separate study analyzed children with and without math anxiety while they were in a device called a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The MRI scanner was able to measure how hard each region of the brain was working during a specific task. This measurement, called “brain activation,” is counted when a brain region is working hard. Researchers found that a part of the brain called the amygdala is more activated in children with high math anxiety compared to children with low math anxiety. Overall, this study suggested that when children solve math problems, those with high math anxiety activate brain regions involved in anxiety. In contrast, those with low math anxiety activate brain regions involved in solving math problems.

How To Help A Child With Math Anxiety

While there is no treatment for math anxiety, educators believe a few tools and actions can help children overcome the condition. The tools that have been created to help people with math anxiety are called “interventions.” For example, educators have made interventions based on research showing that writing down feelings and thoughts beforehand can make children feel less nervous when taking a test. They believe that when children write down their thoughts and feelings, they would no longer occupy working memory while completing a math test. Breathing exercises have also been suggested to help students calm down before a math test. Students have indicated that they feel calmer before a test, and their scores have shown improvements. Together these intervention studies can provide ways to help students with math anxiety.

How Dropkick Math Can Help

Along with interventions, Dropkick Math offers programs that can help a child improve their math skills. When a child becomes more confident in mathematics, their level of math anxiety decreases. With our fun and engaging programs, children will learn to become more at ease with math problems.

By understanding the fundamentals of the four pillars of math, students can reduce their math anxiety and acquire new skills that will set them up for a future of success. To help your child overcome their math anxiety, start by learning more about our programs.

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Why Math Is More Affected Than Reading

The Dropkick Math Team on January 7, 2022

Why Math Is More Affected Than Reading

Why Math Is More Affected Than Reading

Over the past two years, students have had to adjust to a different kind of school life. One week they are in class, and the next, they are in front of a screen and expected to learn the same way as if they were being taught in person. Students faced multiple schedule changes, were assigned new teachers mid-year, and battled with glitchy internet connections. It has perhaps been one of the most challenging times for educators and children in our history. 

Studies show that the impact of the pandemic on K-12 student learning has been significant, leaving students months behind on their learning, especially in mathematics. The fallout from the pandemic threatens to constrict this generation’s opportunities far into adulthood. The ripple effect could affect their chances of attending college and ultimately finding a job that enables them to support a family. 

Why is the Pandemic Loss Greater in Math?

This has been a uniquely challenging time for students, and it is no surprise that it has left its mark on student learning and well-being. Mathematics has been found to be the most affected than any other subject. Many students have become disengaged from school altogether and may have slipped backward, losing the skill or knowledge they once had. They have also simply learned less than they would in a previous year, which has led to unfinished learning. 

Educators believe this gap is due to a few possible reasons, including:

  • Unlike reading, math is best when formally learned at school. Teachers are trained to teach children in person using examples. Teachers find this much more challenging with virtual learning. 
  • When a child is struggling with math at home, parents often feel less equipped to help, leading to an obstacle in student progress. 
  • Math anxiety has been worsened by stress and trauma related to the pandemic. This can lead to students giving up on math and simply walking away when faced with work they can’t handle.

Compared to declines in reading, math learning has been found to be more significant and seen more in younger grades. Early learning experts are sounding the alarm that the youngest learners are the most affected and there is a need to help fill in those learning gaps they may be experiencing. 

How To Help Your Child In Math

Your attitude about learning can directly influence your child’s educational success. Decades of research have found that students’ success is positively impacted by parent involvement. At Dropkick Math, we believe that you are setting an example and strengthening your relationship when you learn alongside your child. Part of learning math is building your confidence in number sense, and your child will see this in you, giving them a boost as well. 

Math education has evolved over the years, and it is essential that you understand the way it is taught in order to help your child learn. We have developed our programs to involve the parent or caregiver. With Dropkick Math, you will learn the type of math your child is working on rather than trying to help them with the kind of math you were taught as a child. 

As one of the leading math tutoring services in Ontario, our trained instructors at Dropkick Math support learning key math skills by focusing on relationships and engaging the parent/guardian. Get started today by learning more about our programs. 

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Why Are Fractions So Hard?

The Dropkick Math Team on December 16, 2021

Why Are Fractions So Hard?

Why Are Fractions So Hard?

When children start to have difficulty in math, it often begins when they are introduced to fractions. Before fractions, they may have only known counting numbers and the relationship between them and the set of objects they represent.

Once fractions are introduced, students may feel overwhelmed and unable to visualize what a fraction represents. This may lead to math anxiety and cause students to retreat and not want to continue learning.

Getting the help they need with fractions is vital for helping them stay on track with their peers. But, to understand how to help your child, you must understand why they struggle with fractions.  

Rushed Through Basics

Students start learning about fractions and making sense of them visually in Grade 3, but don’t start using fractions with operations until Grade 5 or higher. They are often rushed through the basics of fractions because at this stage in education, it is believed that these concepts should be “easy to grasp.”

Students start to work with concrete shapes to better understand adding and subtracting whole numbers from the start of school until Grade 2 and even Grade 3. So, they have years to let the brain develop an understanding and connection of the visual with the abstract symbols. However, students are expected to develop a similar understanding and ability to work with fractions within a few years. 

Not Taught in High School

Fractions as a topic are not taught in high school, so they are expected to have an adequate understanding of them by the time they get into Grade 9. This makes fractions one of the most important aspects for students to understand as they move through the junior and intermediate grades (Grade 4 – 8). They are also often used as an indicator of future mathematical ability.

Understanding Fractions

The problem with understanding fractions often comes once they start to learn about like and unlike denominators. Students begin to learn fractions with standard fraction addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division problems with like denominators (e.g., 3/5+4/5), but problems may start once unlike denominators (e.g., 3/5+2/3) arise. Research shows that 6th and 8th graders only tend to answer about 50% of items correctly when given unlike denominator questions.

This missing knowledge is especially unfortunate because fractions are foundational to many more advanced areas of mathematics and science. Fifth graders’ fraction knowledge predicts high school students’ algebra learning and overall math achievement, even after controlling for whole number knowledge, the students’ IQ, and their families’ education and income.

Often, the problem with fractions starts because students are not given the time to develop a sound understanding of what a fraction is. If they don’t fully understand what ¾ represents, they can’t be expected to work with it and learn how it relates to other numerical values.  

 Students need to visually see what a fraction represents to fully understand fractions. By looking at a representation of what ¾ looks like, they will begin to realize that ¾ is itself a symbol to represent the fraction. Developing brains need to see what it means in a concrete state before thinking of it using the ¾ symbol.

Once students get a solid understanding of what a fraction is, then they can start to manipulate it in their heads. Students must be able to use mental strategies that allow them to make sense of how they fit together and how to work with them in easy contexts first (eg., ¼ + 2/4 is ¾ OR 3  ¼ parts put together) to cement understanding before they can move to abstract ideas.

Develop a Thorough Understanding

 Help your child develop a concrete understanding of fractions with Dropkick Math. Our courses incorporate fractions to ensure that students understand how to compare, add, subtract, multiply, and divide fractions. Through visuals, your child will fully understand what fractions are and how they relate to each other.

Don’t let your child fall behind with their understanding of fractions. Our courses are designed to help you and your child better understand mathematics and pave the way for their achievements in high school. Get started today with our Free Early Indicators Quiz.

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The Math Gene

The Dropkick Math Team on October 11, 2021

The Math Gene

math genes

I have heard it time and time again……

Go ask your Mother! I don’t get math, she has the math gene in the family.

Time and time again I hear adults make similar statements, they aren’t good at math and that is due to some missing genetic code in their DNA make-up. It is an easy way to explain how some individuals are so good with numbers and some are not.

But it is not an accurate statement, and it not only continues to allow generations of people with math anxiety to hide from the problem, but it is also helping a whole new generation start to develop their own math anxiety.

To be clear, there is no math gene! It has been scientifically proven and stated. 

None at all.

But the idea helps to bring light to a darker issue, why some people are so averse to working with math that they actually actively avoid it at all costs. Adults all over the globe have started to come out of the closet with the true issue here, the fact that they suffer from math anxiety, and we are not talking about a joking aversion to numbers, but a legitimate fear of them. 

A Fear Of Math

It comes from the methods that were used to teach most of us math, the “old math” as the media has recently coined it in comparison to the “new math” that students are now learning. It is, in fact, that old math that has created this math anxiety that much of our population silently suffers with. If you look through popular movie references to math, it is repeated time and time again……as a community, many of us don’t really get math!

Many of you were taught similar to me, we learned a variety of rules and procedures in order to come up with answers to questions involving multiplication, division, and a variety of operations with fractions (you all know a rhyme for how to divide fractions). 

These rules and procedures are great for getting a correct answer on a regular basis, but where they fail is in thinking mathematically. These systems are all based on a set of rules, rules that really have nothing to do with math and more to do with a regular set of procedures in order to get an accurate answer. 

Math Algorithms

Algorithms actually were created long ago by mathematicians as a way of helping people who knew very little about math get accurate math answers. Somewhere along the way, it became how we define math, and that is why many of us admit confusion when trying to answer some algebraic question that our Gr. 8 child is having trouble with. We weren’t allowed to visually see the math and slowly work with it, we never got into the learning pit and struggled with the math itself, we were just shown the bridge that went right over the pit and told to follow these rules when multiplying fractions all the time and everything will be great.

We need to get back to just working with the math, bringing it all to a visual medium and allow our brains the time to see what is happening with each operation to make sense of it. The algorithm is a great tool, but should only be used once the meaning behind it is better understood. This way, we have an understanding of the math and what the answer actually represents as well as the set of rules that will help us get the answer regularly.

But how does this have anything to do with the math gene part?

Well, not only is there no such thing as the math gene, but research also shows that the brain is constantly looking to build new neural pathways and grow stronger connections between neurons, which also means that everyone, at any age, is able to practice and get better at working with math.

Believing In Getting Better In Math

Children need to believe that they can get better at math, because just like anything, the more you practice effectively, the better you will get at it! If your child hears that you aren’t good at math and never have been, or that someone in the family has always just been good at it, it sets the tone for them to also start believing this concept, and therefore not want to go through the struggle of math at, in the end, they don’t have a math mind, and therefore don’t, and won’t ever, get math either.

It is important to think about the messages we are sending our children, not just by what we are saying, but also by what we are doing. Everyone is able to understand math, we just have to get back to looking at things the way mathematicians look at them, starting with visual representations to develop a solid understanding, and then start working with algorithms and shortcuts that allow us to get the answer faster. 

This ability for everyone to work with and enjoy math is why DKM Homeschool Resource wants to help your family better understand how math works and rid the world of math anxieties.

Help us help you!

Let’s give math the beating it deserves.


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Why Does My Child Have Difficulty Learning Math?

The Dropkick Math Team on October 1, 2021

Why Does My Child Have Difficulty Learning Math?

Why Does My Child Have Difficulty Learning Math?Many frustrated parents often think of this question. 

Why does my child have an issue with learning math? 

How long will it last?

Will it impact future pathways?

The issue of learning isn’t as detrimental as many of us think, it often comes down to processing speed. Processing speed is the term that refers to how quickly the brain can pick up on a concept and mimic or understand it and move on to the next one.

Processing speed varies greatly from student to student as our brains develop at individual rates. We all end up with fully developed brains, but some move at a faster pace and this can bring advantages and disadvantages for each.

Let me provide you with an example.

My partner and I both love working with math and have enjoyed it as a subject throughout public school. I have a fast processing speed and am always naturally trying to get an answer quickly and move on to the next question. My partner has a much slower processing speed, so she doesn’t try to get an answer quickly, but she does want to just think about what the answer means once she does get it.

We both get the answer, but I tend to get it, and then move on. Faster processors tend to put less thought into what the answer means and more into what’s next. It often looks like they grasp concepts quickly, when, in fact, fast processors often merely mimic the process to get an answer. I was able to quickly get the algorithm to find an answer and replicate that process over and over again, making it look like I really understood the math.

My partner has a slower processing speed as so she doesn’t speed through to get the answer as quickly, but in taking her time she also thinks about what the answer actually represents rather than merely racing through the steps toward the end. Students with this slower processing benefit from more visual systems that allow their brains to better understand what is happening with the math, allowing them to develop a deeper understanding of what is going on.

Math Processing Speed

Each processing speed has its issue in the classroom, the faster speed quickly grasps concepts, although on a shallow level that relies on mimicking a set of steps to rapidly get an answer and move on. The slower speed takes the concept and works through it slowly, wanting to understand what is happening at a deeper level so it can have a thorough understanding of what is going on and what the answer means. Each comes out of a classroom environment with learning, but also with some gaps depending on the individual. 

It is interesting to note, that historically, it is the slower processing speed that has generated the best mathematical brains. Although this slower processing speed has also generally done more poorly in the classroom environment that we work with today.

Working Through Math

Students often don’t get enough time to just sit and work through the math they learn, our curriculums have a lot in them and classrooms have a lot of information to cover in a school year. Math is particularly hard in the fact that it is one of the few subjects that is scaffolded, meaning the mastery of the material from Grade 5 is important for a student to then be able to tackle the material learned in Grade 6. Slow processors sometimes miss the time they need to just let their brain catch up with the learning and get a good hold of what is being learned.

In the end, processing speed is often confused with intelligence, but that is not the case. Research has proven that the speed at which students grasp information has no relationship to how intelligent they are. Math is no exception. People (not just children) often have similar perceptions, if they are fast with math, they think they are not as good at it.

Speed In Math Learning

Speed should never be a factor in math learning, it actually is often an early source of math anxiety in children who are slow processors and need some extra time to work through math concepts. This is an important lesson to keep in mind while teaching young learners. 

As parents, we need to make sure we allow all our participants, young and old(er) the chance to work and learn at the pace that is best for them, ensuring that all brains grasp the important concepts that are key to future math learning. 

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Where is your child’s current level of understanding?

The Dropkick Math Team on September 29, 2021

Where is your child’s current level of understanding?

Where is your child’s current level of understanding

Caregivers of elementary school children often feel confident about their child’s current math level. However, many times children may appear to be doing well in mathematics at school, but they may not really understand the math they are working on. Simply by playing the game of school, children can follow the rules and directions, making them appear to understand, get good grades, and move onto the next unit. 

Often, a child may appear to be doing well, so parents don’t realize the opportunity they can give them by investing in extra math support now, which can give them the skills needed in the future.

Different Generations

Our generation grew up in a time when memorizing rules and procedures that result in an answer is what defined math. However, “the mathematics students need to learn today is not the same mathematics that their parents and grandparents needed to learn. When today’s students become adults, they will face new demands for mathematical proficiency that school mathematics should attempt to anticipate.” – National Research Council (2016)

Society has become increasingly globalized and interconnected; information and technology is rapidly evolving. Students of today will be expected to solve problems we can’t even anticipate yet. Due to this, basic content knowledge is no longer enough to compete in the world’s market. Students need to be well versed in complex problem solving and decision making, as those are skills computers have not yet taken away from us. So, it is no longer about following rules to get the correct answer, it is now about conceptually understanding the math well enough that it can be applied to any and all complex situations.

Surface Level of Math Knowledge

This surface level knowledge of math that students learn may work in the short term, but they will eventually encounter barriers. These usually appear in grade 10 or 11, when they are expected to be applying fundamental math concepts to increasingly complex math problems. This is typically the point where caregivers decide to invest in supplemental math support.

Well, my friends, this is too late. The gap in understanding has widened so significantly that mending the root cause of the struggle is extremely difficult while maintaining the grade-level material. So, what happens? The tutor acts as a band-aid. Helping the student get through this quiz, this test, this unit, this year but never actually creating a sustainable environment where the student will be able to act independently without the aid of a one-on-one support system.

By simply focusing on getting the student through high school math, your child will be extremely limited on not only post-secondary program choices but career choices. This is a mindset that many caregivers have that needs to be changed in order to develop a society of critical problem solvers.

Think About the Future

Getting back to the original point, if your child is only in grade 6, you may not be thinking about their career choices or post-secondary programs…

Fair enough, but you should be aware that your child is currently developing the building blocks of all math that they will be exposed to in their academic career. If your child is simply following memorized rules and procedures and does not have the conceptual understanding, they will falter in math at some point. At Dropkick Math, we can help your child better understand the Four Pillars of mathematics that can build confidence and understanding in math for years to come.  

With Dropkick Math’s programs, parents can help their children better understand the prerequisite math so they can successfully meet the curriculum requirements for their current and future grades.

Have your child take this Early Indicators Check-In to determine if there are any gaps in understanding. We will then provide you with recommended Dropkick Math programs that target the missing knowledge. This will be the key to remediating common misunderstandings that arise from students being introduced to concepts before they are ready or because the concepts are presented in a developmentally inappropriate way. Get started today on your child’s future math success!

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Why does it benefit me to learn math alongside my child?

The Dropkick Math Team on September 29, 2021

Why does it benefit me to learn math alongside my child?

Why does it benefit me to learn math alongside my child

Being a part of your child’s learning is vital for their success. By being actively involved and setting high expectations for your child, you can help guide them towards having high values of doing well in school. 

Over three decades of research has found that student success is positively impacted by parent involvement regardless of socioeconomic status, background, or parent’s level of education.  When you learn with your child, you are setting an example while strengthening your relationship. Your child will see your confidence building in mathematics which will help build them up as well. Your attitude about learning can directly influence your child’s educational success. 

Math Anxiety

Approximately 50 percent of Americans suffer from a condition known as “math anxiety” which leaves them feeling like they “just can’t do math.” This type of anxiety can start as early as five years old and can last into adulthood. 

In the past, you may have learned math through traditional algorithms, which included “carrying,” “borrowing,” or “putting a zero.” If you didn’t understand what you were doing with this type of mathematics, you are not alone. Many knew that it was fast and efficient and got them the correct answer most of the time, but they didn’t fully understand how it worked. This led many to believe that simply following steps to get quick answers was the best way to do math. But, the reality is that it never translated well in the real world.  

Be Positive

No matter how you feel about math, and if you suffer from math anxiety, it is imperative not to talk negatively about the subject. Often when a child hears their caregiver say, “I never use math,” or “I am no good at math,” they receive the message that only certain people can do math, and that it may not be necessary for daily life. The more often children hear negative attitudes towards math, the more deep-rooted their dislike for mathematics may become. 

Being positive about math also includes showing your child how important and valuable it is in everyday life. By making it relevant to them, you are creating an interest for them to learn about it. Children learn by imitating the people around them, so try and make math an important part of experiences to help develop healthy academic skills. 

Be A Math Role Model

By learning math along with your child, you can become a role model for them. Try to talk out loud as you work your way through everyday tasks. This way, they will see you using mathematics in daily life and will begin to mimic your behaviour. Thinking aloud allows your child to hear how you think and will help them develop the essential skills needed for posing and solving problems. 

A great way to use the “thinking out loud” strategy is at the grocery store. As you fill your basket, try recording the prices in a small notebook and saying them out loud. Before you get to the register, add the prices to get a total and see how close you and your child can get to the sum once you cash out. 

You can also make use of the scales available at the grocery store to create a learning experience. Try to estimate the weight of a bag of apples and then use the scale to get an accurate measure in kilograms. This can be a great teaching moment for you to show your child the importance of understanding measurements. 

Your Child’s Education

It is a common misconception that it is difficult for parents to contribute to their child’s math education. While it is often advised to read with your child to develop their skills or play in the backyard to teach them teamwork and the importance of physical activity, math is often left out of this advice.

The Ministry of Education recently released information on “Parent Engagement,” which said:

“Parent engagement matters. Study after study has shown us that student achievement improves when parents play an active role in their children’s education, and that good schools become even better schools when parents are involved…” 

So don’t be afraid to get involved and learn math with your child! It can help them get a better grasp on mathematics and strengthen your relationship!

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