Monday, August 29, 2022

Soothing math anxiety

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8/29/22

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Many kids — and adults — find math daunting. That stress doesn’t just get in the way of good grades. It can be physically painful. So, to help get this school year off on the right foot, let’s talk about the science of soothing math anxiety.

Research shows that having students write about their math anxiety can help them work through their negative feelings and perform better on tests. Encouraging students to have a “growth mindset” about math — that is, view math as something anyone can get better at with practice — can also make the subject less scary, researchers find.

A word of caution for parents: Adults can pass their own math anxieties on to kids. That doesn’t mean that parents who fear math shouldn’t help their children with homework. Rather, adults should avoid mentioning their own anxieties and help their kids plan questions to ask teachers when necessary. Playing math games outside of homework time can also cast math in a positive light. So can reading articles about cool ways to use math in real life, such as debunking urban legends and calculating your dog’s true age.

Most importantly, remind students that making mistakes is a key part of learning math — or any subject, for that matter. And plenty of mathematicians and other number-crunching STEM professionals have experienced math anxiety, too.

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Opportunity

The Rice University Office of STEM Engagement is hosting a series of free virtual workshops this fall to mentor novice science teachers. Educators across the country teaching grades K-12 are encouraged to apply for six seminars (two in-person, four virtual), which are running this week through October 15.

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