Ahh Maths…! Children seem to either love it, or hate it – just like Marmite.

Some children love solving brain teasers, understand number patterns, and appreciate the logical ‘black and white’ aspect of Maths.

For others, Maths is an absolute minefield where numbers on the page make no sense AT ALL.

Of course, because Maths is a core subject, a struggling child can start to feel anxious or become self-critical – especially when everyone else seems to just ‘get it.’

Here at 121 Home Tutors, we meet many young people who find Maths tricky. So initially, it’s worth investigating exactly what the problem could be.

Does your child struggle with Maths because of this?

1. Maths is cumulative. If your child has been absent from school, key concepts might have been missed. This can lead to your child feeling as if they are drifting in a black hole every Maths lesson.
2. Some children genuinely glaze over when they see numbers. Dyscalculia is a real condition that needs to be ruled out.
3. Dyslexic children often struggle with Maths as they forget concepts, struggle to solve word problems, muddle up or reverse digits.
4. Children with visual processing disorders can stress over trying to align numbers, read graphs, or understand geometry.
5. ADD or ADHD affects a child’s ability to concentrate, or navigate through multiple steps of Maths conundrums.

Three ways to help your child master Maths

1. Our experienced Maths experts here at 121 Home Tutors stress how key it is to understand the basics.
2. Initially, focus on addition, subtraction and then multiplication. Have a number line and times table grid to hand. Play Times Table memory games. Once times tables are mastered, introduce division since it’s the exact opposite.
3. Use apps and learning websites to keep interest alive. BBC Bitesize offers terrific read-made lessons and information at the click of a button! Loads of online games to try out too.

Though some of our private tutors love Marmite while others can’t stand it, one thing we are agreed on is that Maths problems can be overcome.

Imagine seeing your child get quicker in Maths tests, and then achieve higher grades. Imagine homework battles ending as your child feels more confident.

Now, you don’t have to as we can help. A Maths tutor can make the world of difference by tailoring each lesson to your child’s exact learning problem.

If that sounds like a positive step forward for you, just get in touch with our tuition team.

Tags: ADD, Dyscalculia, Dyslexia, struggling with maths, Visual Processing Disorder

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 29th, 2020 at 4:55 pm and is filed under Maths, Special Educational Needs, Student stress. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.