Understanding+Math+Anxiety

What implications does the article make with respect to math anxiety?  It ruins a student's working memory; in inhibits their conceptual understanding of math; math solving becomes worse with larger numbers involved; students are prone to rushing, making many mistakes as a result; students will focus most of their energy on their anxiety in lieu of the problem they with which they are working. -DD

Math anxiety happens is higher in females than males. CM

In the long run this type of anxiety can affect one's career choice. It's not just an attitude or feeling that can be ignored. ML

It has a direct link to the brain's processes. The implications are overwhelming for students that suffer with math anxiety. TW

I found it interesting that students who have a better working memory, are bothered the most by math anxiety. This certainly explains why my higher students don't test as well as I would have thought! CD

What can we do as educators to ease the trauma of math anxiety?

Practice math problems to make it easier to get answers mentally; work with students using math under pressure, such as with timed tests; have Patience!! while students are trying to master skills; the teacher must have Mastery and Confidence in what they are teaching!!!-DD

Every individual is responsible for helping children develop a healthy self-image. If we teach children to trust themselves and use the knowledge they have gained then math anxiety should be lessened. Then again, some people just feel pressed when tested. We need to continue to pray for our children in all areas. FS

Teachers should not show annoyance with how quickly new concepts are learned, because this can cause math anxiety. CM

Teachers could have class talk alouds about how to handle fears of makng mistakes and encourage the children through modeling to illustrate step by step what they hear or see in a math problem. With modeling and talk alouds children with math anxiety can learn how to positively cope with these feelngs. ML

Be sure to establish a relaxed atmosphere in your classroom. Encourage students to ask questions and use a "secret code" to signal they don't understand (thumbs up/thumbs down). Humor is important. Students that feel relaxed are less likely to succumb to the anxiety and/or recover from the anxiety more quickly. TW