Math, as we all know, is a cumulative subject — it builds upon itself year after year. This is the reason why most children find it hard. This is also the reason why so many parents worry when their kids appear to be lost while studying Math or seemingly get disengaged with or disconnected from the world at the mere mention of math’s name.
Parents need to know that this doesn’t necessarily mean that their child lacks intelligence or drive or the motive to study. This may seem surprising but believe it or not, kids who are struggling to learn mathematical concepts are putting in a lot of effort – both mentally and physically.
So, what really causes mathematics to become a problem for children? On the basis of our 10 years+ experience in the field of mathematics and our studies based on it, we have narrowed the answer down to three things:
If you child is not doing Math practice regularly :
As mentioned earlier, math is a cumulative subject. Therefore, mastering the basics is a must. To state it simply, learning and understanding the basics is a must. Moving on to more advanced topics even when a student falls behind in one area due to lack of understanding If a child falls behind in one area due to a lack of understanding, moving on to more advanced topics will remain a challenge.
This is true not only for mathematics but also for every other activity in the world. For example, if a child doesn’t know how to run or walk, they won’t be able to play competitive football, no matter how well he knows the rules of the game. Similarly, without understanding the concept of the basic arithmetic function of addition, it will be very difficult for them to grasp the slightly more complex, but still basic arithmetic concept of multiplication.
A few years ago, some researchers published a study called “The Importance of a Strong Mathematical Foundation”. They tested 39 ninth-grade and tenth-grade students on fractions, ratios, and proportions. Participants had to complete questions ranging from third to seventh-grade problems of the same.
Only seven students were able to pass the assessment. Seeing these results, it can be concluded that students were simply being taught mathematical concepts that were in their syllabus but these concepts were not being linked to the existing mathematical knowledge they possessed.
This is such a common yet deadly problem. Due to this problem, students are not mastering the concepts of their level before advancing onto the next grade. As this stacks on, this lack of mastery creates huge gaps in the student’s understanding, hindering them gaining a conceptual understanding of the subject.
If your child is showing Math anxiety :
Being stuck in a single problem for a long time can create anxiety. Sometimes, in the midst of hardship, it’s easy for us to feel as though we’re the only ones going through a certain problem. As parents of a child who is struggling with math, we’re pretty sure it’s no different. And while it is alarming, we hope it is comforting to know that your child is not the only one who may experience anxiety while learning math.
Some common symptoms of math anxiety can include:
- Avoidance of the subject
- Lack of response
- Low achievements
- Not positive self-talk
- Feeling of stagnancy
- Intense emotional outbursts
- Physiological effects like nervousness, increased heart rate, lightheadedness, upset stomach and clammy hands.
Math anxiety is oftentimes overlooked and, for this reason, children can struggle with math from childhood all the way into adulthood.
If you child is having some difficulties while learning
Out of the numerous disabilities that hamper a child’s math learning, the most common is dyscalculia, also known as math or number dyslexia.
According to many experts in the field of child psychology, these are the most common symptoms shown by children with dyscalculia:
- Often struggle with memorising concepts
- Have trouble recalling math concepts
- May struggle while solving math problems even when the understanding of the concept is perfect.
It is not really known what causes dyscalculia. As it is linked to the brain’s structure and function there can be various factors involved — like genetic makeup or environment or injury — the symptoms vary from child to child as no two children are same.
Some signs of children struggling with math
Quite vocal about their dislike of mathematics
Sometimes it is not so tough to spot a child struggling with math. The most visible signs lie in what they say about the subject. When your child says things like, “Math is boring”, and “I hate Math”, then there’s a 100% chance that they’re not fond of the subject.
When your child says things like “I hate math” or “I’m not good at math,” and tries to avoid math-related activities, it’s usually a sign that they are struggling with the subject.
Grades in math are lower than that of other subjects
Many parents can relate to this. You may have heard this often from your child’s teachers or must have seen this in their report card. Your child’s grades are lower in math than in other subjects.
Children may often prioritise the subjects they’re already succeeding in, instead of focusing on a subject like mathematics, that they can’t make head or tail of.
Connection-making is a challenge
Mathematics is all about patterns. As we study more of it, the easier it becomes to find relationships between different numbers and equations.
Sometimes children do not see the connection between numbers, for example, not understanding that 6+3=9 and 9-3=6. This leads to children struggling in mathematics.
Challenge in understanding Time & its operations
If the child is having difficulty in understanding Time like reading time from Analog or Digital watch , correlation and doing simple time based calculations like lapsed time. Then you should be paying attention and further observe to be sure of the things.
Finding difficulty while applying concepts learned in real-life situations
A child may understand the theory behind a certain math concept. However, applying it in the real world is an altogether different matter. They may have a hard time seeing how a certain concept may apply in real life situations. Some of these situations may include:
- Finding out how many days remain until the new year
- Calculating how much something costs and how much change they will get back
- Determining the length of a piece of cloth
- Understanding measurement when determining the size of their portion when asking for food.
Some common Myths about learning Math
Myths about learning math are plenty in our country. However, they are either half-true or as in most cases, full baloney. They are oftentimes perpetuated by people who do not understand the subject well. However, it is not their fault as most people do not get the opportunity to properly understand mathematics and its issues.
Listed below are some myths that every student of mathematics should know about. Being wary of these myths from the earliest can boost their chances of success. Some of these myths are:
Children can’t solve mathematical problems
It is true that kids need to know some basic arithmetic functions like addition for simple problem-solving exercises. However, they’re not what we might think. Although they may lack the proper mechanisms to go about these problems, every child instinctively knows how to count. Even if they are not taught math, they will invent creative ways to solve simple problems of addition.
Young children can only learn math while sitting down
There is one thing that is true not only for young children, but for children of all ages. Learning mathematics is all about engagement and interest, not drudgery and drill-like activities. We have to keep in mind that they are kids and not soldiers. Playing interesting math-based games and activities will help in creating rich math experiences.
Toddlers should not do Math
Toddlers are interested in the world, and instinctively, like all living things, think about the world in a n almost mathematical kind of way. They learn math more effectively if they are given creative ways to learn maths. 100% Activity based maths should be exposed to toddlers.
Children learn math concepts by playing video games
Many studies have shown that older kids can learn mathematical skills like spatial skills from video games. However, this is not true for young children. Younger children have better, more natural ways to hone their spatial skills like crawling and running. Therefore, an important advice for parents of young children: Go Low Tech!!
More time spent than required on mathematics is more time taken away from other subject and social and emotional experiences
This is just not true. In fact, carefully reading the previous myths will show you that all it takes to effectively learn mathematics is about moving, building, talking and playing. These are the activities that are responsible for building many critical important skills in children. Even simple activities like climbing up the stairs can help build an interest in mathematics.
You can always check out our few more articles to help you in your objective
Practical ways to improve maths skills in your child
Easy steps : How to teach maths in an interesting way
