Philadelphia - As children of all ages head back to school, many will be burdened
with the added challenge of math anxiety. “It’s a problem that usually
starts at an early age, and if it isn’t addressed in grade school, math
anxiety can hinder students throughout their education and beyond,” says
Agnes Rash, Ph.D., professor of mathematics at Saint Joseph’s
University in Philadelphia.
Rash suggests that while teachers are
often the first to detect and deal with the problem, parents need to be
aware that their own behavior can strongly influence how their child
navigates math class. “If a parent also has math anxiety, they should be
careful of making statements that can be perceived as condoning
failure,” Rash says. “Statements such as ‘I was never any good at math,
either,’ or ‘I can’t help you with your homework; I don’t understand
math,’ can give the child the message that it’s OK to give up.”
Similarly,
Rash says that teachers need to be mindful of how they present math
concepts in class. “Making statements like ‘this is going to be hard;
pay attention,’ can create an atmosphere of anxiety and fear,” she
notes.
According to Rash, difficulty with math often starts
because an individual student has missed a concept in class, and not
because there is any underlying learning deficiency.
“There is a
misconception that some people don’t have the ‘brains’ to do math,” she
says. “Most people in the general population have everything they need
to be proficient in math, and this includes doing algebra and geometry.
What they might lack is the desire to learn the basics, which requires
them to practice and drill, just like any other discipline.”
Rash,
who is an expert in math pedagogy, is currently developing Sudoku
puzzles and other games that teachers can use as interventions for math
anxiety. She can be reached for comment at 610-660-1562, arash@sju.edu, or the Office of University Communications at 610-660-3240.
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