Mathematically Challenged

Repeated Failure in Math = Avoidance Behaviors + Lowered Self-Esteem

Is math a challenge for your child?

What are specific learning issues that can affect a child’s performance in math?
What are some strategies that parents can use to will help their child to experience more success in math?

Continue reading to find answers to your questions.

Specific learning issues that affect a child’s performance in math:

1. Mastering Fluency with Basic Math Facts
2. Confusion with Math Language and Concepts
3. Understanding Math Symbols
4. Visual-Spatial Processing of Mathematics

1. Mastering Fluency with Basic Math Facts: Math fluency and memorization of basic facts is a common challenge for many children.

Strategies:

• Repeated practice with learning facts through a variety of methods such as computer games, dominoes, card games, math raps and music.
• Teach child to consistently check work for errors
• Allow child to use a pocket -sized facts chart
• Avoid timed math tasks if this cases anxiety

2. Confusion with Math Language and Concepts: Many children experience difficulty with following oral and/or written directions and following steps to complex calculations

Strategies:

• Encourage child to verbalize before and after solving a problem
• Ask child to play the role of teacher
• Require child to use concrete materials to demonstrate his/her solution
• Encourage child to read a problem aloud and to repeatedly ask and answer him/herself if the problem makes sense or not.

3. Understanding Math Symbols: Some children find it challenging to connect their knowledge to basic and/or complex mathematical procedures, math language and symbols.

Strategies:

• Varied repeated practice with a variety of manipulatives and use of materials and objects that are physically moved, grouped and separated before using pictorial representations
• Adults can pair instruction, demonstration and modeling with the use of concrete materials
• Repeated practice with organizing and ordering math symbols and problems from one form to another. Examples: vertical to horizontal, find multiple ways to solve a problem.
• Repeated practice matching language to symbol representations.

4. Visual-Spatial Processing of Math:  Children with visual-spatial processing difficulty may experience extremely difficulty “number sense”, poor handwriting, confused arrangements of numbers and signs, and difficulty with pictoral representations. This specific problem is not as common as other math difficulties.

Strategies:

• Verbal directions that are specific, precise and clear.
• Use of verbal descriptions with or instead of diagrams and pictures.
• Assist child with interpretations of visual representations.
• Repeated practice with pairing use of verbal exercises with concrete objects
• Ultimately, these students need to be able to construct a verbal model of number relationships to make up for difficulty in understanding and interpreting written computation.

Summary
Children of all ages and abilities can experience math difficulties that range from mild to severe. Repeated difficulty in any area of math can affect a child’s self-esteem, and can result in reduced learning and success in mathematics. When a child experiences repeated failure in math, it is helpful to pinpoint the specific difficulty in order to provide the right kind of help.

If your child needs help with math, you can find a great tutor who specializes in mathematics at TutorsAnywhere.