math

What to do if Your Child is Struggling with Math

Many children struggle with learning math.  I admit that it was not one of my favorite subjects when I was growing up and I had to study longer for that class than for any other subject.  I still did well but it took me a lot of time to learn the concepts.  My two children differed – one was a natural math learner and the other struggled as I did.  For parents whose children struggle with learning math, here are a few suggestions.

First, understand that math skills are built upon each other or are cumulative.  If your child does not have a good grasp of the basic skills, it will be difficult for him to advance and learn new types of math.  This may lead to the child finding math boring or difficult, when in actuality, the child does not have a good understanding of the basics. 

Second, some children may have anxiety doing math.  So, it’s not as if the child does not understand math, but the child gets stressed when doing math problems. 

Experts suggest talking with your child’s teacher to find out what is happening in class and what you can do at home.  At the website www.understood.org, there is a list of things that you can do to help your child, from boardgames to books to free graphic organizers.  Visit the link below for more information.  Additionally, making math more multi-sensory has been very effective in helping children to understand it better. 

Third, if your child is still struggling, you may need to have him evaluated at his school for various disorders such as dyscalculia, dyslexia, ADD/ADHD.   Please don’t just have the attitude that “my child is just not good in math” when there may be other reasons for your child’s lack of performance.

Some people will say that “boys” are better at math than “girls” but there is no scientific study that supports this.    Both genders can learn and excel in math.

To learn more, please visit: Understanding Your Child’s Trouble with Math or Struggling with Math.