How to alleviate math anxiety among kids?

Mathematics plays a big role in our life. No matter where we go or what we do, we will always need mathematics in some way or the other. In spite of this immense importance, it is considered to be one of the most feared subjects that causes children a lot of anxiety and dislike. This in turn often makes the kids to potentially ignore the importance of having vital math skills that can be beneficial for them in the future.We, at the K.R. Mangalam School, believe that with the right kind of attitude and techniques, mathematics can really be a fun subject to learn. We hence offer our pupils with an interactive form of education that is not only turning out to be fruitful when it comes to alleviating the math fear from the young minds but also caters to developing deep math skills among them. Here, in this article, we have listed out a few processes that can help the parents as well to keep their children engaged in mathematics in aproductive manner.

Converse to Build Confidence:Unlike the popular notion, mathematics does not require any special skills and inborn talent to be successful. Therefore, it is essential that you talk to your child regarding their math problems with utmost patience. Let them know that you understand what issues they are facing but they can easily overcome all the fear only if they show little dedication towards the subject. At school, we attempt to alleviate such fears by engaging in a simple session of discussions with children. It is necessary that you too try and sit down with your child and explain to them the importance of such a subject by setting proper examples and showing them that it is not at all difficult to master.

Help Them RiseAbove the Mistakes:Mathematics requires a lot of attention, well-developed cognitive skills, proper practice, and a grip on formulas. It may seem like a mountain to cross, which is in fact, one of the key reasons why kids show dislike for the subject. This factor also detersthe kids from gaining their full potential in the subject. They tend to feel letdown whenever they make any mistakes. This is why it is crucial that kids be told that making mistakes is the core of practice, and hence there’s actually nothing wrong about it. We, at KRMS, always emphasize to our students that mistakes are normal and it is learning from them that holds importance.We take care that instead of rebukes, aproper explanation is provided to the students about any mistake they make. The key lies in encouragingthemto follow the proper techniques that can help them in finding the right answers and gaining the much-needed confidence in the subject.

Encourage Taking Notes:While learning the basics of mathematics, it is important that the child jots down each and every important point and formulas and try to remember them as efficiently as possible. Using such notes can be beneficial in two ways. Firstly, taking down notes of each and every rules and formulas is beneficial in creating a record of all the necessary procedures in case the child forgets a few. Secondly, referring to such notes during mathematics practice works as a guide and helps in remembering the formulas better.

Proper Planning and Routine:Regular practice holds a lot of value when it comes to mastering in a subject like mathematics. Having a proper routine not only serves to build up confidence but also helps to boost up the problem-solving speed while reducing the scope for errors. This, thereby, gradually helps to take away any anxiety and fear about the subject.We always tell our students that they need not be a genius to be good at math. Following a simple and dedicated schedule and practicing mathematics every day is enough to build the necessary skills and confidence.

At, K.R. Mangalam School, one among the top 10 convent schools in Delhi,we believe that fear and anxiety for any subject, be it math or any other, is nothing but a temporary feeling that can be very well overcome. All that is needed is the right approach towards handling it. While we, at school, have adopted many innovative and fun ways to help alleviate any such fear from the minds of our pupils and raise their interest instead, we would also like to urge the parents to lend a little support to the kids at home as well. Parents are the figures kids always look up to, and as such, if you simply let them know that you are confident of their abilities and devote some amount of time and effort with them, it will help ease the pressure off their minds and they will then be better able to yield immensely positive results. Sometimes sitting down with your child with a pen and paper yourself to show that such a subject is not as difficult as everyone thinks, can make wonders for the kids. A little effort from your end and a little from ours can together make a huge difference in building the intellect of our young ones.

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