Short answer: Struggling math students improve fastest when you fill foundational gaps first, use concrete and visual models before abstract equations, build real understanding before memorizing, connect math to everyday life, break big problems into steps, and keep practice fun with games, apps and peers. A one-on-one tutor can pinpoint the gaps.
The good news is that your child can improve their math performance. Research from Norway has shown that the neural connections you need to be good at math are not innate. Rather, they’re developed through practice.
Key points
- Fill the gaps: Find the earlier skills your child never mastered and practice them first.
- Concrete, then abstract: Start with real objects, then drawings, then numbers and equations.
- Understand before memorizing: Tricks and formulas help only once your child knows why they work.
- Make it real: Tips, prices and trip budgets turn everyday life into math practice.
- Break it down: Splitting complex problems into neat steps prevents overwhelm.
- Keep it engaging: Games, puzzles, apps and peer tutoring make practice feel lighter.
Why does every student need a different approach to math?
If you have more than one child, you’ve probably discovered that what works for one doesn’t always work for the other. The same is true in learning.
While the notion that some children perform better if taught through their preferred learning style – auditory, visual, or kinesthetic – has been largely debunked, there’s no doubt that kids learn better when engaged.
Every child is different when it comes to what they find meaningful. If you can tap into your child’s interests, learning math will be easier and more rewarding. For instance, children who are obsessed with Minecraft can incorporate math concepts into their play.
What math strategies help struggling students?
Kids can face math challenges at all grade levels, so even a child with exceptional mathematical thinking may need help occasionally. Try some of the following math teaching strategies to give your child an advantage.
| Strategy | What it looks like |
|---|---|
| 1. Address foundational gaps | Practice missed skills, such as math facts, until they are automatic |
| 2. Use visual representations | Concrete objects, then drawn models, then numbers |
| 3. Understand, don’t just memorize | Draw arrays before memorizing 3 x 7; know why a formula works |
| 4. Apply math to real life | Restaurant tips, price comparisons, vacation budgets |
| 5. Break down complex problems | Neat, orderly steps and graphic organizers |
| 6. Make math fun | Family game night, sidewalk chalk, riddles and puzzles |
| 7. Use interactive tools and apps | Prodigy, Math Playground, Hands-On Equations |
| 8. Seek peer-to-peer guidance | Peer tutoring at school |
1. How do you address foundational gaps in math?
A foundational learning gap is a skill that your child should have mastered but hasn’t. They may have missed a concept because of virtual learning, or they may not have had enough practice when the class was going over it.
Math teachers often have to move on to complete the math curriculum, even if students haven’t mastered the topic.
If your child is young and learning basic mathematical concepts, you may know the skills they’re lacking. Some extra time practicing to reach automaticity with math fact flash cards might be all they need to fill in their gaps.
If they’re older and you haven’t learned – or have forgotten – the more advanced concepts they’re learning, getting an assessment from a tutor can help you find and address conceptual gaps.
“Next to fractions, the skill students most often fail to master, and the one that causes them the most grief, is negative numbers. I see it all the way up to high school seniors.”
Sean Alexander, founder of Alexander Tutoring
2. How do visual representations help with complex math concepts?
Often concepts that are confusing for children to learn in the abstract become clear with a hands-on demonstration. The concrete-visual-representational approach lets children develop a deep understanding of a topic by first introducing it with concrete resources, such as base ten blocks or real-world items.
Once the child understands how it works with physical objects, you can move on to drawing models and then to using numbers and equations.
Singapore uses these math instructional strategies in its national curriculum and routinely scores among the highest in the world in mathematics – far above the US’s 22nd ranking.
3. Why does understanding matter more than memorizing?
Although there is a place for memorization in mathematics, you shouldn’t focus on rote repetition before your child has a solid mathematical understanding of a topic.
Long before your child memorizes 3 x 7, they should spend a lot of time creating groups and drawing arrays to understand why the answer is 21. Similarly, students in advanced math need to understand why they’re using formulas instead of just memorizing them.
Math shortcuts or “tricks” can be useful, but only after your student understands why they work. Students often struggle to solve word problems because they’ve just been taught to skim the surface by looking for keywords rather than truly comprehending what the problem is asking.
“At Alexander Tutoring, we derive every formula. Instead of memorizing a formula and plugging numbers in, students see where it comes from.”
Sean Alexander, founder of Alexander Tutoring
Tutor tip: Before your child memorizes a fact or formula, ask them to show you why it works with a drawing, an array or a quick example. If they can’t, spend more time there first. Our guide on how to memorize math formulas shows how.
Not sure where your child’s math gaps are?
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4. How can you apply math to real-world situations?
You probably started reading to your child as soon as you brought them home from the hospital. Most parents routinely read to their children and apply literacy concepts in everyday life. Unfortunately, many people don’t feel comfortable doing the same with math.
You use math every day, so take the opportunity to apply what your child is learning to everyday situations at home:
- Have them figure out the tip at the restaurant.
- Let them compare prices to find the best value next time you’re shopping.
- Encourage them to create a budget for your next vacation by researching airline and hotel prices or determining how much you’ll need to spend on gas for a road trip.
5. How do you break down complex math problems?
As students get into more advanced math, problems become harder and more complex. Your child may need to organize their work and complete multiple steps to get to the answer.
Breaking the problem up can keep your child from getting overwhelmed and frustrated. Make sure they keep their work neat and orderly so they can refer back to earlier steps when they move on.
Graphic organizers can be an effective strategy for breaking up and solving difficult problems.
Tutor tip: Have your child write one step per line, top to bottom. When an answer comes out wrong, neat work makes it easy to find the exact line where it went off track.
6. How can you make math fun?
You’ll have a hard time convincing your child that sitting down to do a page of math problems is fun. However, you’re not limited to math worksheets.
- Institute a math family game night to have a good time and learn along with your kids.
- Let them take their problems outside and solve them with sidewalk chalk.
- Show your student the playful side of math by giving them fun riddles and puzzles.
7. Which interactive tools and educational apps help with math?
For today’s digital natives, learning through apps and interactive tech is second nature. Math games like Prodigy or Math Playground can give your child extra practice that doesn’t feel like a chore.
If you’re looking to get away from screens, Hands-On Equations provide concrete, interactive experiences with algebra that even third- and fourth-grade math students can understand.
8. Can peer tutoring help a child who struggles with math?
Sometimes the best teacher is the one who just recently learned a concept. While you wouldn’t want a teenager as a full-time algebra teacher, peer tutoring can help with some math struggles.
Students who are your child’s age or slightly older may relate to them better and often remember and can share methods that helped them overcome the issues your child is struggling with.
Peer tutoring may also help reduce math anxiety – perhaps because students feel more at ease when learning from others their own age. See if your child’s school offers peer tutoring, or ask their teacher for a recommendation.
How can an experienced math tutor help?
In addition to teaching math strategies to struggling students, one of the best things you can do is to get a tutor. A tutor will work with your child one-on-one at their pace and ensure they fully understand each topic before moving on.
At Alexander Tutoring, we create customized math intervention strategies to help your child develop problem-solving strategies. Unlike a traditional math classroom, we can cover math using methods that are ideal for your child without having to worry about dozens of other students.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a child who struggles with math get better at it?
Yes. Research from Norway has shown that the neural connections needed to be good at math are not innate but are developed through practice, so struggling students can improve with the right strategies.
What is a foundational gap in math?
A foundational gap is a skill a child should have mastered but hasn’t, often because they missed a concept or the class moved on before they had enough practice. Filling these gaps first makes later topics much easier.
What is the concrete-visual-representational approach?
It is a way of teaching math that starts with physical objects such as base ten blocks, moves to drawn models, and only then uses numbers and equations. Singapore uses this approach in its national math curriculum.
Should kids memorize math facts and formulas?
Memorization has a place, but only after a child understands why the fact or formula works. For example, a child should build groups and arrays to see why 3 x 7 is 21 before memorizing it.
How can parents make math practice more fun?
Try a family math game night, solving problems outside with sidewalk chalk, riddles and puzzles, or math games like Prodigy and Math Playground. Hands-On Equations offers a screen-free way to explore algebra.
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