Coping with Mathematics Anxiety

As early as Reception, boys and girls are introduced to mathematics. As they progress in school, they will learn mathematic skills such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and much, much more.
While mathematics can be fun and challenging for some boys and girls, it can equally be a very different experience for others. For many boys and girls, working with numbers and mathematical concepts can lead to what is commonly referred to as “mathematics anxiety”, in which they can develop a fear and stress about mathematics. They can feel anxiety about not getting the answers right and not understanding what is being taught. They may feel frustrated and upset about not doing well in mathematics, and may develop a dislike for the subject, making the development of mathematics skills even more difficult as they progress through the year groups.

I have given this booklet to parents at parent consultation evenings and have had good feedback. In the booklet I refer much to 'boys' as I teach at an all boys' school. Please substitute in 'boys and girls'.

I include a pdf and word document (docx) so that you might make it more user-friendly in your school.

Included:-

Common causes of anxiety
How does it originate?
Myths and misconceptions
Symptoms and underlying causes of errors
It is 'okay to make mistakes'
How to deal with mathematics anxiety
Mathematics games to play with children (parents) - from an early age
Problem-solving strategies

You can do mathematics!
Negative reaction is not just a reaction to failure