Experiencing anxiety while doing math can affect your child’s ability to remember the correct steps to solve the problem. Challenges in this area may be indicative of the procedural subtype of dyscalculia. If your child struggles with math anxiety, the following strategies can help:

  • Prior to the test, write your anxious thoughts down in a journal. Rate each worry on a scale of 1-10. This process can help calm anxiety and demonstrate that low levels of anxiety (i.e., <3) can be motivating and helpful
  • Visualize yourself in the place where you studied for the test to help bring a sense of comfort
  • Practice diaphragmatic breathing, aiming for 6-8 breaths per minute. Deep breathing from the diaphragm naturally has a calming effect
  • Look over the entire test prior to beginning and work from the easiest to hardest problems to help build confidence and rhythm
  • Use positive self-statements (e.g., “you’ve got this!”)
  • Smile while taking the test. The act of smiling, even if you feel anxious, will reduce this feeling
  • Develop multiple strategies for solving problems, rather than being reliant on only one method

Reference:

Feifer, S. (2017). The neuropsychology of mathematics: An introduction to the FAM. Middletown, MD: School Neuropsych Press, LLC.