#2 How to Combat Math Anxiety with Maria Ryan
Oct 25, 2020
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We can all get a little nervous when we’re taking a math test, but for some students, it’s more than nerves. Math Anxiety is a recognized problem that Dr. Maria Ryan has spent years studying.
In today’s episode, Maria Ryan and Allison Dillard deliver actionable tips that we’ve both tried and tested to help students at any age combat and overcome their math anxiety.
- 2:45 Definition of math anxiety
- 4:15 How common math anxiety is
- 6:05 How to help students with math anxiety
- 6:25 Strategy #1 Talking with your child about where their math anxiety came from
- 7:55 Strategy #2 Eliminate negative talk about math
- 9:17 Strategy #3 Parent support and conversations with teachers
- 11:00 Strategy #4 Let them do math the “new” way, even if it’s not how you learned it.
- 14:45 Strategy #5 Parents and teachers, reflect on your own math experiences or anxiety
- 15:30 Strategy #6 Reflect on and journal about math experiences
- 16:01 Strategy #7 Journal about anxiety right before your test
- 17:06 Strategy #8 Experiment with different strategies to see what works
- 17:24 Strategy #9 Meditation at the beginning of math time or before math tests
- 17:55 Strategy #10 Ask in the middle of class or math homework, how are you all feeling?
- 20:10 Strategy #10 If you blank out on exams, write down formulas as soon as you get the test.
- 21:17 Recap of all the strategies
- 21:36 Math is just a skill. It’s not magical.
- 23:40 One final strategy: Positive support. Instead of saying, “I can’t.” add “YET” so it’s “I can’t yet.”
