Maths anxiety: what it looks like at home

Maths anxiety is real, well documented, and shows up long before an exam. It looks like a child who says "I'm rubbish at maths" before they have read the question.

Common signs

• Stalling, fidgeting or tears at the start of maths homework.
• Copying answers to avoid being seen to fail.
• Panic when a method is explained differently from school.
• Physical symptoms before a maths lesson or test.

What helps most

First, separate the emotion from the task: "You're finding this hard, not impossible." Second, lower the entry point — start with something they can definitely do, and build. Third, make mistakes visible in your own life, out loud.

What doesn't

Telling a child to calm down, timing homework, or comparing them with a sibling almost always makes it worse.

Small groups help here precisely because a child can ask a question without an audience.