How To Overcome Maths Phobia

What is Math Phobia

Math Phobia is when someone experiences psychological fear of Mathematics. Just hearing a particular word can generate a sensation of fear or tension. The effect can be so detrimental (or strong) that the individual experiencing Math Phobia does not even attempt to comprehend the Math principles or work through the given questions or problems. It’s as if conceding defeat without even attempting to fight. Sometimes a student may make a lackluster effort to grasp concepts or solve problems, but we understand that Mathematics is enjoyable and straightforward when learned with proper guidance and methodology, yet can become challenging without consistent practice and effective teaching methods.

Math phobia symptoms

• The child is reluctant to attend the Math classes (whether private coaching or at school)
• He does not attempt to solve the Maths questions or puzzles, rather simply gives up
• He is stressed most of the times whenever any Maths topic is being discussed at home or among friends (even if he is not in the class at that time)

Is This Problem Relevant To Me

If your children aren’t struggling with a fear of Math, consider yourself exceptionally fortunate. Well done. Yet, Math Phobia has become a widespread problem, affecting nearly every child. This issue transcends geographical boundaries, affecting children worldwide. As parents, we constantly seek methods to eliminate Math Phobia in kids minds. However, without grasping the fundamental causes behind Math Phobia, our efforts to eradicate it are likely to be in vain.

Lets understand the most common reasons of Math Phobia

Although there are many possible explanations for this occurrence, we aim to discuss some of the fundamental reasons we’ve encountered during our decade-long journey through fascinating mathematics, interacting with parents and students.

• Strong reliance on the use of calculators starting at a young age. Therefore, the child cannot perform simple math operations without the use of a calculator. Therefore, he never manages to establish a firm grasp on numbers, causing them to always appear unfamiliar to him.
• Both trainers and parents typically prioritize exam grades over evaluating whether a child’s understanding of fundamental concepts is solid or not. Frequently overlooking the child’s lack of expected comprehension.
• Lacking a strong understanding of foundational subjects. For example: without mastering multiplication tables, a child will struggle to succeed in understanding Factors and Multiples. This situation is commonly seen in schools with large class sizes, where one classroom cannot provide individual attention to each student.
• Shy or introvert students are often hesitant to ask questions in bigger batches, and if the first topic is not clear then it often has a cascade impact on subsequent topics.

How to Overcome Maths Phobia

The most important step here is to do the basics right, which means try to follow the principle “prevention is better than cure”. From a young age, children should be taught basic Math concepts in a way that sparks their interest. This is accomplished by the Mathcruise team through the following methods.

• Engage with kids and connect with them in a meaningful way. Our teaching methodology encourages healthy competition and kids are encouraged to ask questions if anything is not clear. The more they interact, more comfortable they will be with the trainer and the subject.
• Use complimentary teaching methodology “Abacus” – Visit our Abacus page for more details. To sum up, teaching children between the ages of 5 and 15 with an abacus is one of the oldest, most effective, and tried-and-true methods available. You’ll be astounded at how quickly pupils can do mental arithmetic computations (without a paper and pen) when you watch demo films of our students.
• Use complimentary teaching methodology “Vedic Maths” – For children above 11 years, Vedic Maths is also a wonderful option which focused in shortcuts and tricks for almost every Math topic like arithmetic or geometry or calculus or even trigonometry. A child can increase the speed upto 5x to 10x by using the Vedic Maths tricks. Refer our Vedic Math page for more insights and commonly asked questions.
• For conventional school Math classes – we ensure that we do not move to the next topic unless the child is fully comfortable with the earlier topic. Even if that means that we have to spend some extra time with the student or go a little slow.

Final Thoughts

We have to realize that a child is like clay; we can form him into whatever shape we wish. As parents, we may offer our children a lifetime gift of self-confidence if we can take some simple preventative measures in a timely manner. These days, you can choose to receive assistance from any qualified trainer. However, please make sure to verify the trainer’s legitimacy and read the Google reviews left by parents who have previously used their services. This is typically the most reliable method for determining a trainer’s genuineness.

At Mathcruise we take pride in the fact that every child loves our classes and they want to join the class even when they are on vacation or not fully well. We have seen the younger sibling sitting besides our students in the online classes, and this proves how much the kids love our classes. Half the battle is already won if the child is looking forward to the class and he does not need to be pushed. Rather we work on the PULL model and this is the simple secret why we are effectively able to remove Math phobia from the mind of our students (or not allow it to enter their mind in the first place).

Tanmay Gupta

Tanmay Gupta, a specialist in mathematics, possesses a deep passion for the subject. He has been involved with Mathcruise since its inception and takes pride in being a part of the growing Mathcruise family. Tanmay excels in both Abacus and Vedic Mathematics and is particularly interested in developing innovative methods to effectively engage with children, aiming to eliminate their fear of mathematics.