What To Do When Your Child Hates Math

Math is a fun subject, the numbers, the symbols, and signs are all interesting when you are good at figuring out how to make sense out of it all. However, it is a completely different story if you can’t even tell the difference between algebra and arithmetic. Math is a nightmare for those who cannot do it; it is frustrating, boring and downright depressing. This is probably why your kid hates the subject. It is a challenge, and like adults, kids don’t like failing either. So when you keep on failing on the same subject, it is difficult to develop a person for that subject. The good news, however, is that since they are kids and still young, there is the possibility of changing their mindsets, so to try and to do that, you first need to understand the problem.

Why Does Your Kid Hate Math

Well, it is probably because he is not good at it. He is frustrated and defeated and when he sits down to a problem he doesn’t understand why it feels overwhelming and impossible. It is not because he is not able to or that he is way less smart than the kid next door who is acing all his tests. No, not all. It is because he didn’t get enough time to master the previous level. It is important that your child fully understands and masters every step at every level before moving to another level. When this is not done, he gets lost when the problem gets a little complicated. Math is a step by step practical subject; missing one step puts the rest of the work in shambles.

Here are a few reasons to consider:

1. The Scientific Point of View

Mel Levine made the critical point that when a young child gives up on arithmetic, it is a sign, not that he is not trying hard enough, but rather that he is trying too hard and expanding too much energy. The child with a numerical processing deficit is just such a case. But what exactly does it mean, in physiological terms, to say that such a child is “working too hard”?

There is some research that bears out the idea that a highly challenging mental task will burn extra amounts of glucose. But the findings have been mixed. While the brain consumes an inordinate amount of glucose relative to its size, it appears that the amount of additional glucose consumed when working on a hard problem barely registers. Except when one especially pertinent factor is involved and that factor is stress. The more stressful a task, the more glucose is consumed. A child with poor numerical processing finds math stressful in the same way that a child with poor balance finds learning how to ride a bike stressful. In the case of math, we are dealing with a working memory issue but not simply a working memory issue. Anxiety introduces a further dimension into the mix, quite apart from the processing bandwidth consumed by intrusive thoughts: Viz., the physiological cost of hyper-arousal.

2. Low Motivation

One of the most important reasons why children dislike math is because the method of teaching does not involve fun. It is strict, complicated, and really serious; this demotivates the kids and makes them lose interest. Kids will be kids, and it helps to remember that all the time, you have to come to their level, break things down and find ways to make it fun.

3.Black and White, No Gray Area

Children don’t like to be proved wrong and math does that to them all the time. There are no midway answers in math. You are either right or wrong, never in between. This becomes a key reason why kids are apprehensive and scornful towards numbers. Mathematics is too precise for their liking.

4. Smart Vs Dumb

In our society, to be skilled in mathematics define smartness. Anyone who is good with numbers is regarded as superior or gifted. This is the reason children get scared the minute they fail, even once. We forget that math is just a subject and everyone is bound to fail at it, once in a while. Not all sums can be completed correctly all the time so why attach a smartness tag to it? This is another problem and it makes a lot of kids hate math, because no one wants to be considered dumb.

How to Help Your Child Develop a Passion for Math

While you wait for your kid’s teacher to get the help he needs, you will be left with the frustrating task of monitoring homework time.  You can help your child extract all the best from the new math and minimize suffering from the worst. With the right attitude and these tips below, it might just be possible for you and your child to not survive but thrive.

It is actually pretty simple, not necessarily easy, but simple. Watch your child’s math grades and do not be satisfied with just a passing grade, you want to see at least a B. A passing grade in a math class means he has scored enough points to move on, not that he has mastered the skills. You may not be concerned with complete mastery of every subject of every grade, but with math, it is necessary. If he is getting low grades, basically signifying he is getting enough problems correct, you need to help him. That may require you to stay up late with a teacher, help him with extra worksheets at home or hire a tutor or online instructor. However you do it, get him better. Here are a few steps to follow:

1. Listen to What is Going Wrong

Kids are kids and accepting that first will be really helpful in helping them out. Teaching kids math requires first figuring out what they don’t understand. Instead of getting to the heart of a misunderstanding, you are more likely to tell your child something like, “NO, that is not right, try it this way instead.” The better response to a wrong answer begins with asking the child to explain his thinking. You don’t just have to show the child the right steps; you also have to show him why the wrong ones don’t make sense.

2. Do Everyday Math

Many people use math in their jobs without realizing it. Dairy factory workers use it to figure out how to pack quarts of milk efficiently on to trucks; cashiers use to make change and calculate prices; even those of us who are customers have to think about how to calculate a tip, compare prices and confirm we have gotten the right amount of change. Math is not a disconnected process but a manipulation of real numbers that exist in the real world and make real sense. If you open up these everyday problems for your kid to think through with you, you won’t just be helping him to see how math makes sense in the real world; you can also get some help figuring out the tip.

3. Make Math Fun

Try to introduce math in ways that do not make it sound like a lesson. Maybe this idea seems a bit trite, but you can find a way to make math fun for your kid. For example, when you go out to dinner with the family, offer a small prize to whoever can figure out the bill quickest. Before embarking on a family vacation, your child will probably ask about how long the trip will take. Show him how many miles away it is and how fast you will be driving, and see if he can figure it out. After the fact, you can tell your child that he has just successfully completed a math problem.

4. Be Open to Conversations

Do not tell your child that he cannot talk about the dislike for math. If the student continues to hate math and no corrections are made, the end result might be a failing grade into the course. The initial conversation to diagnose the problem is just as important as continuing conversations to make sure that the issue is resolved. Ask your child questions about what happened in math class today, and see if you can use the material as a bridge to matters in everyday life.

5. Do More Practice and Review

While some kids need to do fewer problems in order to not hate math, other children may actually need to do more. If your child is having trouble retaining what he has already learned, go back and make sure those skills are sharp before moving on. Every step in math builds on each other, and it is very frustrating for kids to keep moving forward when they are missing some of the building blocks. Make sure your child has the math facts mastered and basic skills solid before you move to a more complex work.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, it all comes down to how much attention and how much support you are able to give your child to supplement the efforts of the school. At this level your child does not know what is best for him, so he needs you to guide him. Math is challenging to a lot of people, even adults, but you can change your child’s mindset and help him thrive at math.