We can relate maths with daily life. Students have a fear of maths just because they get fewer marks or weak in maths. If they focus on maths from their childhood, they definitely understand it better.

Post

Let me start on a different note that in Maths subject as well often children do need role models like a Dhoni or a Kohli to idolise them so as to follow the subject with interest. If we tell them stories about mathematicians and scientists like Ramanujan and JC Bose their achievements and what they did for science and the country maybe then, students will be inspired to pursue the subject. The fear of Maths But, did you know that math anxiety is a serious problem? In fact, the term 'Mathophobia' has been coined to describe the feeling of fear, tension and anxiety about one’s ability to do Maths. This fear interferes with a child's ability to perform well in Maths. So, how can you help your child who is gripped by mathematics phobia? “Always do what you are afraid to do,” said the American philosopher, Ralph Waldo Emerson. And, that is exactly what you should encourage your child to do not to shy away from Maths but rather, to embrace it. Here are ten tips, based on inputs suggested by Dr Robinson Thamburaj in one of the lectures shared on how to remove fear of math ! Sharing the ideas here ; Be positive: 'I’m not good in Maths; I am stupid'. Such thoughts can hurt your child’s self-esteem and confidence. Help your child understand that everyone has different abilities and he should be proud of his other accomplishments. Some extra effort from him and a little additional help will certainly help him do well in the subject. Such a positive outlook will boost his confidence and help him focus and perform better. Face it squarely: Sit with your child and discuss her fear of Maths. Help your child acknowledge the fact that she may not be enjoying the same comfort level with Maths as she does with other subjects. Acceptance is always the first step towards tackling any problem. Encourage practice: Repeatedly working on maths problems helps improve mathematical skills. Therefore, encourage your child to solve maths problems every day. Set aside a particular time for this practice. Investing extra time and effort will bring about a great change in both attitude and performance. If necessary, hire a maths tutor to coach your child. Make Maths simple and fun: Simplify the learning method. Even complicated problems can be made easy by breaking them down into smaller, simpler steps. Involve your child in Maths games, puzzles and apps to make the process an enjoyable experience. Perceive Maths as a creative subject: The general notion is that Maths is not creative. Encourage your child to experiment with different ways of solving a problem. Introduce her to open-ended problems such as figuring out how many ways you can make a ‘5’ by using the numbers 0 through 9 and ‘+’ and ‘-’ operations. Activity-based Maths learning involving paper-folding and dartboards will also ensure creativity. Apply it in daily life: Try to integrate Maths into your child’s daily life, to make it more real and meaningful. When you go shopping, let your child pay for the purchases and collect the change. Reinforce the concept of fractions through slicing and sharing pizza. Cook together and get your child to measure portions for the recipe. Skip count while playing rope. Teach geometrical properties while drawing traditional patterns of Kolam or Rangoli. Such hands-on activities will ensure experiential learning. Encourage peer learning: Pair-work and group-work to solve Maths problems can be effective ways of reinforcing concepts learnt. Find out the root cause: It is essential to identify the root cause of the fear of maths and to look out for maths anxiety symptoms. Could it be that your child's early foundation in Maths was weak? Or, were his teachers not too enthusiastic about the subject? Was the method of teaching dull and uninteresting, based on formulae and procedures without explanation of underlying concepts? Sometimes, it just may be a fear of tests that causes Mathophobia. So, try not to place too much emphasis on tests. Also, avoid timed tests, as a focus on speed only adds to the anxiety and tension. Give good reasons to study Maths: Help your child understand that for filing income tax returns or managing home budgets, she will need the help of numbers. A large percentage of jobs in the future will require Maths skills. A strong foundation in the subject will help develop both logical thinking and problem-solving skills. Such motivation will lead to positive results. Set an example: A parent’s attitude towards Maths tends to reflect in the child’s outlook too. As a parent, avoid making statements like, 'Maths is so hard', or 'I hate Maths'. Instead, encourage your child by saying things like, 'Maths was difficult for me because I didn’t get the right kind of support. Today, there are so many good resources online, fun activities and videos, which can help us both get better at the subject'. Once the fear of maths is gone, aptitude and logical reasoning will also improve although i do not agree the approach to deal with both of them is exactly same but they do parallel subjects and improvement in mathematics always help for logical questions but is not the base for it and hence even without mathematics, you can make them understand logical reasoning by practise to exercise their mind and improve their logical reasoning.

Post

• Report

Priyanjali Dhanyalaxmi

Follow

Priyanjali Dhanyalaxmi

Thank you Salim Sir ! Will share more insights on math phobia and ways to deal with it !

18 Nov 2019

• Report

Salim Yadav

Follow

Salim Yadav

Very relevant answer. Thanks for taking out time and sharing your thoughts on math phobia.

18 Nov 2019

Muze lagata hai kohi bhi subject hard nahi hota. Agar ap unhe bataenge hi nahi ki maths hard subjects hai to hard lagega hi nahi . or agar ham student ko kohi bhi topic ka introduction , delivery or conclusion padhaenge to unhe subject hard nahi lageha .ex. Aver hame devision of polynomial padhana hai to ham unhe variable ,coefficient , constant and degree of polynomial padhaye or conclusion me example solve karte samay students bolne chahiye or Teacher me likna chahiy or question Puche to unko concept clear hoga. To maths hard nahi jayega or uske related question scholarship and NM ms books me question padhaye .

Post