Find Help with Math: What to Do When Your Child Struggles with Math

We’re surrounded by math every day — whether you’re calculating the tip for a waiter or hair stylist, tracking sports statistics for your favorite team, or playing music. Unfortunately, a lot of people struggle with numbers and math, and it starts at a young age. If you think your learner might need math help, here’s what you should know.

Math challenges can look very different for every learner. For example, the root cause of their difficulties may vary. Maybe they’ve developed unique coping mechanisms. Or, their symptoms may not be as obvious as you’d think.

Whatever the situation is for your child, it’s important to understand what’s happening and why. With the right math help, your learner can overcome discomfort or build solid strategies for tackling numbers and equations. It can be a game-changer at any age!

Let’s review the ins and outs of common math struggles.

Does Your Child Need Math Help?

3 Reasons Why Students Struggle with Math

When students have a tough time with math, the underlying source of the difficulty may not always be the same. Identifying the root cause is crucial to transforming math struggles into learning triumphs. 

With that in mind, here are three common reasons for math difficulties:

• They’re nervous or anxious about math.
  Math is often touted as a difficult subject, and kids can internalize that early on. Maybe they’ve had a teacher who scolded them for an incorrect answer in class, or maybe they sense that their peers are nervous about math. Whatever the case, math may provoke anxiety or nerves for them.

• They may not understand earlier concepts.
  Picking up math skills is a cumulative process. For example, students need to understand addition and multiplication to solve more complex equations. If a learner falls behind, or hasn’t learned a previous concept, they may suddenly experience difficulties in math class.
  
• Underlying learning differences.
  Cognitive differences can play a significant role in needing math help. Dyscalculia is one common example. Students with ADHD or other learning differences may need support, too. In these cases, you’ll want to speak to your child’s doctor about next steps for diagnosis.

3 Signs Your Learner Needs Math Help

It’s not always obvious that your learner is struggling with math. A lot of kids feel ashamed or awkward about experiencing difficulties in this subject. If you’re wondering whether your child needs math help, here are some signs to watch out for:

• Their grades are suffering.
  This sign is often the easiest to spot. If your child gets solid grades in other subjects, but seems to have lower marks in math, you’ll want to check in with them. Poor grades can help them internalize negative feelings about math, and can make it more and more of a struggle over time.
  
• Negative self-talk.
  “I’m just not good with numbers.” “I’m not smart enough to do math.” Have you heard these kinds of comments from your learner? This kind of disparaging self-talk is a real indicator that your child is struggling with math in a big way—and it’s starting to impact their self-esteem, too.
  
• Avoidance.
  If your child isn’t paying attention during class, or if they’re leaving math homework at school, these can all be signs that they’re withdrawing from learning math. If they get upset or annoyed when asked to do mental math or other everyday math, that can also be a sign, too. 

Math Support with One-on-One Brain Training

With LearningRx, learners can get math help at any age! We offer focused, one-on-one math training that helps students build up their confidence with numbers and equations. Our personalized approach means we tailor each program to a client’s unique needs and abilities.

It’s not unusual for math to be a daunting subject—but with the right support and training, learners can discover new strategies for math success. We help students of all ages tap into new strengths and abilities!   

Explore our math help programs for all ages! Find your local LearningRx online, or call 866-BRAIN-01 to discuss you or your learner’s needs.