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Maths anxiety and resilience
Feeling nervous or stuck in maths is very common, and it is not a sign that you are bad at it. Mathematical resilience is the habit of carrying on when maths gets hard, and it can be built like any other skill.
For students
- Treat a mistake as information. It shows you exactly where to look next.
- Start with what you do know. Write it down before worrying about what you don’t.
- Break a big problem into small steps and do just the first one.
- Short, regular practice beats a long session the night before.
- Ask for help early. Saying “I’m stuck on this step” is a strong thing to say.
- Before a test, take a few slow breaths. Calm hands solve more problems.
For parents
- Praise effort and strategies, such as “you kept going”, rather than being quick or clever.
- Ask “what have you tried so far?” instead of giving the answer straight away.
- Try not to say “I was never good at maths either”. Children can pick up that it is fine to give up.
- Keep homework time calm and short. A break often helps more than another hour.
- If worry about maths is getting in the way of sleep or school, speak to the teacher.
Mathematical Resilience: class slides
Resources to download
For students
Quick reference: keep this in your book
One page: what maths anxiety is, what happens in the brain, the learning zone, and questions to ask yourself when you are stuck.
For parents
A guide for parents and guardians
Helping with maths homework, even if you don’t know the maths: what to try, what to avoid, and questions to ask whatever the topic.
For teachers
Maths anxiety and mathematical empowerment: a summary for class discussion
Three pages: what maths anxiety is, the brain’s response, the learning zone, growth and fixed mindset, and fight, flight or freeze.
For students
Target stickers (colour)
“I am proud of what I have done” learning zone stickers to stick in your book as a reminder.
For students
Target stickers (printer-friendly, to colour in)
A full sheet of the same stickers in black and white.
Places to read more
- youcubed (opens in a new tab) · Stanford: growth mindset ideas and tasks for learning maths
- Hannah Fry (opens in a new tab) · Maths that connects with real life
- Quick Maths magazine (opens in a new tab) · A free student magazine from the AMSP that covers revision and maths anxiety
Ready to plan your revision?
Practical methods for studying, fixing mistakes and getting unstuck are on How to learn and revise maths.