Why do Students Hate Math and How to Solve That?

Have you ever found yourself saying, “I hate math!” or perhaps you’ve seen your friends become annoyed by it? Math has a long history of being disliked by children, and sometimes parents as well. Many children require a lot of effort and time to understand mathematical concepts.

Parents often get annoyed when they find their children struggling through their math lessons. No wonder, children tend to find this subject a tiresome one. But all said and done, the underlying question still remains⏤why do children hate math? If you are wondering what causes children to dislike the subject and how to solve that, then you’re at the right place.

Children are Unable to Understand Basic Math Skills

The main cause of every child’s aversion to math is a lack of understanding of fundamental math skills. Regrettably, this frequently begins in the lower grades. It is critical to lay a solid foundation by understanding the building blocks of mathematics. This allows children to grasp one aspect of the lesson before moving on to the next. Math problems become more complex as students progress through the grades, and it can become a challenge if their fundamentals aren’t strong enough. So, how should we tackle this issue?

What Should You Do: Parents can spark their children’s interest in math by engaging them in interesting learning activities. To make rote learning more interesting, there are interactive workbooks, music, and games. While teaching math concepts, you can try adding real-life scenarios. Keep in mind that you must ensure that your children are engaged in studying math ideas that they can relate to and enjoy.

Children are Unable to Find the Connection Between Math and their Real Life

Many children regard math as a subject that is entirely limited to school. As a result, to them, math becomes a redundant subject that does not add value to their education. When children leave the classroom, they tend to forget about math concepts. “What is the use of learning trigonometry?” “What am I going to do with algebra in real life?” and many more thoughts occur in their minds. Parents and teachers are sometimes unable to address such questions, further discouraging children. So, how do we cope with this problem with math?

What Should You Do: You can try bringing up real-life scenarios where math is essential. For example, you could discuss how long it’s going to take to reach a friend’s place, how many grocery items they bought from the supermarket, or how to stack the books in the cupboard. If parents consistently bring math into everyday activities, children will realize its importance in real life. If your child is interested in soccer, tennis, or basketball, talk to them about statistics and how it helps in tracking the scores of multiple matches or competitions. In short, show your child how integral math is in real life and they will take the subject seriously in the classroom.

Children are Afraid to Make Mistakes

There is no simple way to put it, but if you don’t make mistakes in math, you’re not learning! When children and parents find mistakes in their math classes, they get nervous. However, making mistakes is entirely acceptable. How will you learn if you don’t make the same mistakes over and over again? Children most often hate math because of their fear of failing. Their confidence is affected as a result of their repeated mistakes, and they lose interest in math. Parents might sometimes contribute to their anguish, and they all end up declaring, “I hate math!” So, what are our options in this situation?

What Should You Do: You may encourage your child to make mistakes without reprimanding them as a parent. Motivate them to take on difficult tasks rather than drop them in the middle. If your child becomes discouraged by repeated mistakes, remind them that mistakes are a part of learning, and when they are able to solve them, the reward will be fulfilling enough. Try complimenting your child’s achievement with comments like “Wow, you solved that tough problem!” or “I’m sure you solved a problem that I couldn’t answer when I was in second grade!” These statements will undoubtedly help your child gain confidence in math.

Children are Unable to Memorize

Recalling equations, formulas, theorems, graphs, sequences, logarithmic values, and many more can be a tough call for students. Many students find it difficult to memorize all the methods of mathematical equations. But memorizing isn’t always the answer. So, how to solve this problem?

What should you do: Avoid using the memory approach since it is tedious and puts a lot of mental pressure on the children. Rather than remembering, teach your children how to solve equations on their own. Children should pay close attention to how and why the formulae work. This will not only help them learn math ideas more easily, but it will also allow them to apply these ideas and think outside the box for other math problems. You can also introduce number-based brain puzzles to your child. Rather than memorizing, these promote the development of problem-solving abilities.

Math may be a difficult subject for children, but after they get beyond the initial fears, math can seem to be a fascinating subject. Parents and teachers play an important role in helping children create a deep bond with the subject. There are several online and offline games available to make learning more enjoyable. Fun math games are meant to help children learn math concepts while having a great time. 

Visit Byju’s FutureSchool blog to read more articles about creative ways to grasp concepts and improve math skills.

References:

1. 5 Reasons Why Your Kids Hate Math (and how to fix it) – E2 Talk. (n.d.). Retrieved April 22, 2022, from https://blog.e2.com.vn/5-reasons-why-your-kids-hate-math-and-how-to-fix-it/ 
2. 8 Reasons Why Kids Dislike Math – Problem Solved! (n.d.). Retrieved April 22, 2022, from https://parenting.flinto.in/parenting/why-kids-dislike-math 
3. 5 teaching strategies to build math confidence. (n.d.). Retrieved April 22, 2022, from https://luminouslearning.com/blogs/sped-math/build-math-confidence