Math as a subject might seem like a tricky one. If you get it, you get it otherwise one might dread studying math their whole life that Start to produce maths phobia in you. Most people all over the world are fearful of studying math because they perceive it to be difficult. While difficulty might not always be the case, the sheer anxiety, expectations of parents and teachers and stereotype regarding the subject might cause a lot of fear and anxiety regarding the subject in general.
Math anxiety- Why does everyone dread math?
Math anxiety can refer to feeling apprehensive, anxious and fearful of studying math and solving problems. Individuals who fear math are not necessarily weak in it, but the anxiety and fear may lead them to believe that they are.
Additionally, parents and teachers who are fearful of math might cause their children to believe in it too by only teaching from the textbook, rote learning formulas and accidentally conveying the idea that math is difficult and something to be fearful of.
A huge proportion of students in India are fearful of math and feel that they cannot do it, which at times influences their performance and impacts their academic records. This might demotivate the student and further make them more fearful of the subject.
5 ways to make Math fun for your kid | By Pass Maths Phobia
- Teaching with real-life examples:
One of the easiest ways of learning anything is to do so by taking real-life examples. Having a practical applicability to the material you are learning makes it more fun and easier to understand. Hence, learning different concepts of math using real-life examples can make the learning of the concept simpler and fun to understand. Parents and teachers should keep this point in mind while teaching their child math.
- Create a reward system:
Reinforcement can go a long way in bringing about the desired change in the behaviour of an individual. Parents and teachers must keep in mind that rewarding a child every time they get an answer to a difficult question right can be extremely motivating and keep the children engaged in doing math.
- Using technology, the right way:
There are many applications that make learning mathematical formulas easier and fun and explain mathematical concepts in a simple manner. Using the technology, the right way by making use of such applications can make math seem less daunting and keep children engaged while developing their interest in the subject. There are also various educational platforms like 88guru that provide affordable education starting at just Rs 88/-. Their video-based educational content is easy to understand and the use of different visual aids makes the learning process interesting.
- Try to reduce the stereotype that math is hard:
A lot of fear regarding math is largely due to the stereotype that math is hard. While that may be the case sometimes, the difficulty doesn’t mean that an individual is stupid or incapable of solving questions. Parents and teachers should keep in mind to not show or express any kind of fear regarding the subject in front of their children because children pick up on these small things and ultimately feel that they are incapable of doing math which in turn might impact their academic performance overall and bring their grades down.
- Start early and practice regularly:
The key to becoming good in math is regular practice of concepts and formulas. One should keep a target and solve certain amount of questions every day in order to master their concepts and not let math become a burden on them at the last moment during an exam. Practicing daily can help in building up one’s confidence about the subject and reduce their anxiety and fear. Hence, it is important to start early with the syllabus and practice math questions regularly.
7 ways to learn and memorize math formulas quickly
While there are different ways through which one can try to make math fun for themselves or their children, it is also imperative to know about various tips and tricks about how to learn and memorize math formulas quickly. So, here is small guide on how you can learn these difficult formulas easily-
- Increasing the in-depth conceptual knowledge of your mathematical concepts as this will help in better learning of formulas.
- Writing down the formulas as you learn with help with better retention and retrieval of information when you solve your questions.
- Make practice an everyday thing in order to ace math. Practice is the key when it comes to math. The more questions you solve, the quicker you will learn the formulas and their applications in different questions. Here is an easy video on how to learn math formulas quickly.
- Use Mnemonic devices for quicker learning, or make your own to retain and retrieve formulas quickly while you practice.
- Learn by breaking down formulas into smaller parts and start slow. This will help in learning the formula easily and you are likely to remember it for a long time.
- Take small breaks, as studying continuously might lead to a cognitive overload of information and frustration. Breaks will help you in taking things easy and slow and make your learning process better and more effective.
- Minimize distractions as they are likely to make your learning process ineffective and cause disturbances. When you are learning your formulas, make sure to do that in a quiet room without anything causing any diversion. You can also take a break and do a quick breathing exercise to help you refocus.
Conclusion
While math may seem daunting and difficult, following these simple steps might make your learning process a little simpler and easier to understand. Keep in mind, practicing regularly, minimizing distractions, breaking down formulas into smaller parts, writing them down and having conceptual knowledge may help in making math seem less hard.
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Author
My Qualifications are M.Sc (Math)- St. Stephen’s College, B.Ed- IP University. I have 15+ years of teaching experience at: The Shri Ram School, Aravali, Gurgaon, Heritage Xperiential Learning School, Gurgaon, G D Goenka Signature School, Gurgaon. No more boring Math classes! Ms. Anuradha doesn’t just teach Math, she brings out the inner mathematician in every child.