Do you feel like your child is falling behind in the mathematical world? Mathematics can be a tricky concept for students, but identifying signs early on that they are struggling can really set them up for success in the future.
There’s no need to worry if your child is having difficulty understanding certain concepts because there are several steps that parents can take to help their budding mathematicians get back on track, including using a tutoring company. Read on as we discuss how to spot warning signs and what actionable strategies you can use when helping your child build up their math skills!
A Disliked Topic
Math can be one of the most difficult subjects for children to master, so it is not surprising that it is one of the most commonly disliked topics among school-aged children. To ensure a child’s math success, parents and teachers should work together to foster an environment that promotes math confidence and understanding. Doing this will help them realize they can excel at math with persistence!
Three Main Reasons
While there can be a variety of reasons why children struggle with mathematics, there are often three that stand out more than others.
Math Anxiety
One of the most significant hindrances to effective math comprehension is the belief that math is too complicated or that a child isn’t smart enough to understand it. This belief is commonly caused by math anxiety and can lead to lacklustre achievements in math, as striving for success in something that seems out of reach quickly becomes demoralizing.
When a child feels as though they are “not good at math,” they lose the confidence needed to advance. Many children become too afraid to even take a chance at answering math questions and would rather retreat into the back of the classroom and become invisible during math class.
Symptoms of math anxiety in children include:
- Low achievement
- Avoidance of math
- Negative self-talk
- Intense emotional reactions while trying to do math
- Nervousness
- Increased heart rate
- Lack of response in math class
If your child is showing any of these signs, they may have math anxiety. This is a common occurrence, but it can continue into adulthood if not dealt with at an early age with math tutoring.
Lacking The Building Blocks
Math is an intricate subject, one where each concept builds upon the last. This can create a type of domino effect; if one math concept isn’t fully understood or retained, the student may continually fall behind in math progressions. Math classes are often structured so that later concepts rely on the foundations of earlier material.
Suppose a child is missing this base understanding of elements like multiplication and division. In that case, they may struggle to move forward, and their math skills may be severely impacted when tackling more complex equations. Therefore, instructors must ensure students have mastered each lesson before advancing in math coursework; it’s the only way to guarantee success for future math questions.
Learning Difficulties
If you notice your child struggling with math, they could have an undiagnosed learning disability. While there are numerous disabilities, one of the most common is dyscalculia (also known as number or math dyslexia).
Children with dyscalculia often have trouble remembering math facts. They may understand the logic behind math facts but may not know when or how to apply them to solve problems. Another sign of dyscalculia is the inability to understand quantities or concepts like biggest versus smallest.
Currently, researchers do not yet fully understand dyscalculia, but they suspect that it’s related to how the brain processes math-related information; how specific regions of the brain would be structured differently and interact differently in those with dyscalculia compared to individuals without it. As such, more studies are needed to better understand what causes this math-learning disorder and how it can be prevented and treated.
Speak With Their Teacher
If you are unsure whether your child is struggling in mathematics, the best place to start is by speaking to their teacher. They will be able to let you know if your child has been avoiding participation in class or any other warning signs that could mean there is a problem. By catching math anxiety and learning difficulties early, it is easier to get a child the help they need to get back on track.
At Dropkick Math Academy, our online math help is designed to help students regardless of their struggles. All of our math tutors are certified Ontario teachers who are experienced in teaching children with various learning styles and blocks. They understand why a child may be struggling and how to encourage them to overcome the hurdles they may face.
All of our programs revolve around the four pillars of math (number sense, operational sense, algebraic reasoning, proportional reasoning) designed to focus on a child’s needs, whether it is more visual or tactile aids or more focused explanations of concepts. We understand that learning math can be difficult for many children and their parents, and we strive to offer the best in education for future success. By involving the parents/guardians in our math tutoring, we can help ensure they are equipped with the knowledge to help their child down the line. At Dropkick Math Academy, we believe that learning together brings greater success!
Learn more about our programs today and how we can help your child if they are struggling with mathematics.
