Determining the Causes of Math Anxiety.ppt

Determining the Causes of Math Anxiety By: Samantha Woodland Do you have math anxiety? What is it? Also known as dyscalculia or math phobia It affects people of all ages WHAT CAUSES MATH ANXIETY? It is difficult to diagnose There is not much research on it It deals with unfamiliar concepts and procedures Working memory may have something to do with it Math Anxiety Is Not Taken Seriously People easily dismiss it People fear the subject People take less of the subject or avoid it People end up taking remedial math in college What Is Being Done About It? New math programs are being implemented 15% of schools have implemented them Implementation has caused a war Math Wars Are the new programs helping to decrease math anxiety? What Do You Think? What Can You Do To Decrease It In Your Classroom? Emphasize meaning and understanding rather than memorization Model problem-solving strategies rather than presenting finished solutions Show a positive attitude toward the subject and toward the students Make it enjoyable Encourage students to tell how they feel about the subject Be careful not to overemphasize speed tests or drills * * Math Anxiety: The way in which student’s lack of confidence in that subject undermines their academic performance. According to the National Center for Learning Disabilities, dyscalculia is similar to dyslexia. It is also known as developmental arithmetic disorder and 2% to 6.5% of elementary school-age children are affected by it in the USA. It can affect every day activities such as balancing a checkbook, figuring out a restaurant tip, reading maps or keeping track of scores during a sporting event. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, primary children seem to hold positive attitudes toward mathematics, however, those attitudes become progressively more negative as children move into middle school and high school. Many people are quick to state that they were never good at math, however, people do not ment