‘Mathsphobia’ / ways to make Maths fun

‘Mathsphobia’ / ways to make Maths fun  

Many individuals suffer from ‘Mathsphobia’. Some people find it difficult to deal with Maths questions, which causes pupils to panic due to the complexity of working out the questions. This type of frustration displaces children or young people’s ‘emotions, attitudes, and cognitive skills (Doidge, Joshua; Toplak, Maggie E., 2017) which alternatively affects their holistic development and their ability in the academic work. The fear of failing and not being able to succeed in Maths can affect a child’s focus and performance in this subject immensely. Heidi Kirkland (2016) had a class in key stage 2 and one of her pupils began to sweat whenever she knew that a maths lesson was occurring and would lead into a panic. It was discovered that she was suffering from ‘Maths anxiety’ and had the ‘physiological symptoms of ‘Maths Anxiety’ such as an increased heart rate, lightheadedness, increased perspiration and clammy hands’ (Blazer, 2011).This is an example of what children can experience if they are suffering from this phobia and how they deal with situations involving Maths. Children and young people who are suffering from this phobia or do not like the thought of solving Maths problems should be reassured and provided with time and effort. 

                                         

According to Donaldson (2015, p.40), it is important for the members of staff who work with children and young people, have an understanding of how to reinforce Maths skills and take opportunities to consolidate learning appropriately. There are ways that practitioners can overcome this for some children and encourage them to enjoy Maths, along with becoming comfortable in failing and to learn from their mistakes. This can occur by linking Mathematics to real life situations, so children can relate and discuss their problems to one another. Not only for children suffering from “Mathsphobia”, a huge percentage of children are not fond of Maths and always avoid working to their full potential in this subject. So, the question that us practitioners need to ask ourselves is ‘how can we make Maths fun and enjoyable?’. During the time in my first year in university, I have been taught many ways of enhancing children’s stimuli into wanting to learn Maths. Some of these examples are turning Maths problem solving questions into games, such as the competitions when learning times tables between two individuals pretending to be a character of their choice. Some other activities that could also be implemented in schools are making posters, using measuring jugs, having large numbers outdoors or working on the smart board as a group. Kyle Thain discusses a tip that he uses to stimulate children in Maths lessons, known as the “J Factor”. This can become very helpful towards other practitioners who are struggling to maintain the children’s interest in their Maths lessons:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W94qK2nxBbQ. 

Some practitioners usually have this perception of predicting that children and young people who are learning Maths should remain quiet in order to concentrate. In my opinion, I think that Maths should include group work and collaborating with their peers which will result in gathering different opinions and solutions for every problem. There are many ways and techniques that practitioners can use to ensure that Maths lessons are fun and engaging. They could take the children outside and use props in order to stimulate children because when they are outside, they seem to let off some steam and become more relaxed and ready to learn. Children develop a mathematical sense by using the “trial and error” method and learning from their own mistakes. The outdoor environment is the ideal learning area for planning Maths activities that would otherwise be impractical, unattractive or impossible indoors. There are also other activities, such as the times tables competitions, games on the smart board and work sheets to promote collaboration between peers. This is extremely important when working out Maths questions because children can learn from one another and become more confident in this subject if they have support from other students. It is also important for practitioners to avoid labelling those who find Maths difficult to handle and encourage them to have the confidence in attempting to answer questions. Children should celebrate their mistakes because it strengthens brain power and promotes their motivation to succeed in the future.  

Reference list  

Blazer, C. (2011) Strategies for reducing ‘Maths Anxiety’. Information capsule. Research Services, 1102. 

Doidge, Joshua; Toplak, Maggie E. (2017) Taking on Math Difficulties: Helping All Children and Youth Who Struggle.Vol. 43, Iss. 1,   

Donaldson, G. (2015). Successful futures: Independent review of curriculum and assessment arrangements in Wales. Welsh Government p.40 

Heidi Kirkland (2016) 'Maths Anxiety': Isn’t it just a dislike for learning mathematics? ATM, P.11