The Guardian – Prathap Chandran
“It’s usually because of a bad experience, for example being punished for failing a test or feeling embarrassed after answering a question incorrectly. The way teachers feel about the subject also has an impact – if we think maths is hard and scary our class will too. Instead of taking shortcuts, teachers must help children see the relationship between the different challenges to ease their anxiety. Parents also have an impact, increasing worry in their child if they also find the subject stressful. A study conducted by the University of Chicago found that parents who felt anxious about maths, but provided frequent help at home, actually slowed their child’s progress.”(more)