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August 19, 2022

How to reverse the effects of math trauma

By Sean Alexander
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Middle School and High school can be a difficult time for many students. There's a lot of pressure to do well academically, and math class can be particularly daunting. For some students, this anxiety manifests as "math trauma." 

What is Math Trauma?

This condition can occur when a student has a negative experience in math class - such as feeling humiliated or getting a bad grade - which leads to a fear of mathematics. Math anxiety can cause students to avoid math altogether, leading to further setbacks. 

Math anxiety and math trauma can lead to a number of problems in adulthood. For example, people who are anxious about math may shy away from personal finances, including budgeting and investing, which can have lifelong repercussions. In addition, math anxiety can lead to social anxiety, as people may avoid social situations where they might need to use math, such as going out to dinner with friends.

student experiencing math trauma in a classroom

Math trauma survivors often say that they wish they had gotten help sooner. If you or someone you know is struggling with math anxiety, there are resources available to help.

While not everyone who struggles in math class will develop math trauma, the condition is fairly common. In fact, studies suggest that up to 30% of high school students are survivors of math trauma. However, it's important to remember that just because someone struggles with math doesn't mean they're not good at it. With the right support, survivors of math trauma can overcome their anxiety and succeed in mathematics.

How to overcome Math Trauma

Being good at math takes understanding, practice and a little bit of fun. Recognizing patterns is a critical part of understanding math and after understanding comes practice. A daily math routine with increasing difficulty is essential for students to maintain their skills and become faster and more accurate with their computations. Making math fun by incorporating games or puzzles can help students stay interested and excited about learning. 

If you fear your student is at risk of suffering from math trauma, the best solution is boost their confidence in the subject by working with a tutor.

Math Tutor helping student overcome math trauma

Working with a trusted math tutor can give students the individualized attention they need to gain confidence and excel in math. A tutor can provide one-on-one attention and assistance, target areas of weakness, and help students get ahead in advanced subjects. Individual math tutors are great at offering encouragement, support, and keeping students motivated. For students who are struggling in math, a tutor can make all the difference.

If someone you know is struggling with math, math anxiety, or math trauma, please reach out to schedule a free consultation with our professional and engaging staff of tutors. We love math! We think math is fun! And we love to share our passion with students to help them overcome their math anxiety.

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How Math Tutoring Works:

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  • We will create a custom plan for you or your child
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We look forward to a friendly discussion to learn more about how we can help your child transform math and physics anxiety into genuine confidence, fascination, and understanding!

Author

  • Sean

    COMMAND PILOT, OWNER Sean has been a professional educator for 15 years and has taught math, physics, and astronomy at all levels.  His experience ranges from working at a high school for severe learning differences to teaching advanced physics at Stanford.  After completing his graduate work in theoretical physics Sean founded Alexander Tutoring, with the mission of revealing the deep connections between math and nature to as many students as possible. 

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Download our Ultimate Guide
to Conquering Test Anxiety
Years of research have led to this proven guide to solving students’ most common problem

Test Anxiety Lead Magnet

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