Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Age or Ability Specific Forums Elementary School math for a kid that has anxiety with math?

I am having both my children do a summer bridge book and I am concerned because my DS9 started having serious anxiety whenever he got to math problems (some of which are below his level as it is material he has already covered in school). I asked him why he got so anxious and he finally came out and said he doesn't feel comfortable with the math- this was just adding three digit numbers together. I was not a math kid, in fact one of the things that seriously upset me was that my brain that is so good at so many things just refuses to remember algebra. I'm not sure why, but I think it's because it's so abstract, I'm very good at memorizing things in story form, but abstract numbers are difficult for me. I can do regular math fine, and I have built things that required precise calculations.

Anyway, back to DS9. This is basic addition. First, he doesn't seem to have dyscalculia (he can tell time, count etc. ) We did take a break from math for about a month, and I know that perhaps certain dendrites may have been pruned, but I didn't realize this was a problem as he has scored well in math previously.

They have changed to common core (Everyday) math at school, the year before when he was doing well they were doing Singapore- which he said he liked better. I am just wondering if there is something I can do over the summer to help him feel comfortable with math. I did buy the Murderous Maths books, but although he has said he wants to read them he hasn't picked any of them up yet. I don't want to give him a lot of summer homework, but if I can find a less dry method of teaching him so that he feels comfortable with math I think it would help him when he goes back to school.

PS my husband is good at math, and liked it and uses it in his occupation but he was not super mathy either.

Is he going into 3rd or 4th? My dd8 is going into 3rd, but is advanced a year in math, so she'll be going into 4th grade math next year (Everyday Math). She's actually very good at math, but for some reason, has the impression that she's bad at it. She has math anxiety, too, and I think it's because Everyday Math doesn't focus on mastery. So this summer, she's doing various timed math apps (which she hates), and the 3rd grade Beast Academy books. BA should be a repeat of last year's math, so I'm hoping just to cement her knowledge and help build her confidence.

Well the point of the summer bridge books is they bridge 3rd to 4th grade, so they review the things he learned in 3rd (and some of what he actually learned in 2nd) and then they slowly move into 4th. Right now what he's doing is possibly 2nd -early 3rd grade math. I thought it would be good because its just going over what he has already learned, and cementing that- and there's no pressure at all. He's fine with everything except the math.

That's why I was worried- he got pretty upset over some fairly simple math that he's already done before. But I do think it's a good idea to try and apply the math to other things in the real world. He does tend to be resistant to that stuff though- he will tell me "stop mom I don't want to think about that right now- stop asking me to do this stuff..."

If only Bill Nye the science guy taught math...

Here's what jumped out at ME from your post:

They have changed to common core (Everyday) math at school, the year before when he was doing well they were doing Singapore- which he said he liked better.


This is related to MoN's post above.


Um-- the problem might be an artifact created by a horrifically designed math curriculum, IMO. The only reason that it doesn't happen to MORE kids is that (again, IMO) most of them don't see what a good elementary curriculum looks like first.

Mine did, and had the SAME kinds of problems with Calvert mathematics (which, while not the abomination and affront to humanity that is EDM, is not the curriculum that Singapore Primary is). I mean-- really-- have YOU seen that EDM textbook?

The answer is to make "math" something completely coherent again.

Singapore Challenging Word Problems workbook? I wouldn't use the regular version with a kid like this-- he's SEEN the material before, after all. That might be a way to return to a time when he felt GOOD about the math.

Yes, EDM just sounds like a bad idea after Singapore math...I will try the book you refer to HowlerKarma, and see what happens. Only problem is, when we return to school in August, he is going to have to go right back to EDM

I have a lot of anxiety about algebra specifically, and I did a google search to try and figure out what the deal was and found all these apparently intelligent people posting on how they had the exact same problem (inability to master algebra). Some have dyscalculia, but others said they had been tested and have no learning disability. I found others (mathy others) that have stated online that it is due to a lack of mastering- and more importantly *understanding* -the fundamental rules of algebra. I know when I needed to complete algebra for my BA I studied like crazy and still barely passed it. And of course, the more anxious I got, the less I remembered how to do it. I want to make sure that both DC have a good feeling about math. I think I might take an online algebra class to see if I don't feel anxious how I do... it would be interesting to see what happens. In the meantime, I will see if a going back to Singapore makes a difference.

If you just want to make Maths as a whole fun again, you could also consider the Life of Fred books. We use them as bedtime stories and everyone enjoys the stories and how the maths is part of Fred's everyday life. We use other things for in the day time maths but this is our go to for just keeping it fun.

Madoosa- I just got the Life of Fred books and I think I am going to have both kids play TimezAttack and read LoF and just back off on the other math stuff. Make it fun again. They only have another month of summer after all.

I was thinking about hiring this tutor my friend is using, but when I spoke to her kid yesterday (who has made major improvement due to the tutoring) he basically said he still hated math. The tutor seems to be a traditional tutor, gives homework etc.

I talked it over with DH and we both said we'd rather have kids that liked math so we are going to back it up and try to get the fun part back into it.

Hi LAF - DD9 went through some math anxiety when she was 7, and frequently proclaimed, "I hate math!" She also came home telling me after math classes that year that she was "stupid." Fast forward to this past spring when she scored DYS and Epsilon-level qualifying in math on the EXPLORE and had the highest spring MAP math test scores in her large grade (and apparently very high a couple of grades up). She, too, does EM at school.

Math is still probably a relative "weak area" for her (verbal skills are her strong suit, although EM probably plays to these - the subject of another thread). What helped was nailing down her math facts (Xtra Math) and letting her play on IXL (she was allowed to work ahead in grades when she asked). The school does "whole class" differentiation for math (the advantage of large grade size - just under 200 students, allows for this) - so her "group" (highest in grade) had their own math teacher and class. She also started EPGY in the spring, but that was after she took the EXPLORE, so I am not really sure how much that has helped. I do think all of these things, combined, have given her more math confidence. After I was told about her MAP test score by a clearly shocked principal, I told DD she is no longer allowed to tell me she is "bad at math." HTH!

Loy's anecdote suddenly reminded me that I went through a stage, also in early elementary, when I would say that I didn't like & wasn't good at math. This was puzzling to my mother, who resolved it by persuading the school to adjust my math instruction to a higher level. Math is also not my temperamental strength, but I am certainly not bad at it (I was enrolled in college calc at 14 yo), so I can only assume that, with the egocentricity of childhood, I interpreted boredom and lack of engagement as weaknesses in my own interest and skill level for math, rather than instructional misplacement.

I think you are right, when I sat him down to do the math again, he could clearly do the math- I think it has more to do with that he feels like it's boring. Today I had him play Timezattack and although it is easier math that he's already covered he enjoys playing. The only thing is he asked me if I could make it slower (since he has slow processing, that's the only issue) I'm going to call them tomorrow and ask them about whether or not I can lengthen the time it allows him to put the answer in.

Aeh- that's interesting... I wonder how I could find out if he needs higher level math.