My Child Says They're Bad at Maths. What Should I Do?

One of the saddest things we hear from parents is:

“She’s actually quite bright, but she’s got it in her head that she can’t do maths.”

The problem isn’t always mathematics.

Sometimes the problem is confidence.

How Maths Anxiety Develops

Most children don’t start school believing they’re bad at maths.

Instead, that belief develops over time.

Perhaps they:

• struggled with times tables
• found division difficult
• got lower marks than friends
• felt embarrassed in class

After enough negative experiences, they begin to create a story about themselves.

“I’m just not a maths person.”

Unfortunately, this belief can become self-fulfilling.

The Science Behind Maths Anxiety

Research has consistently shown that maths anxiety can significantly affect performance (Ashcraft & Krause, 2007).

When students become anxious:

• working memory decreases
• concentration decreases
• problem-solving ability decreases

In other words, anxiety makes it harder to demonstrate what they actually know.

Confidence Comes Before Achievement

Many parents think:

Better marks → More confidence

In reality, confidence and achievement often grow together.

Students need opportunities to experience success.

This doesn’t mean making work easier.

It means providing the right level of challenge.

Tasks should be difficult enough to promote growth, but achievable enough to create confidence.

Why Foundations Matter

By Years 5 and 6, mathematics becomes increasingly cumulative.

Students rely on:

• multiplication facts
• division strategies
• number sense
• mental arithmetic

When these foundations are weak, higher-level concepts become difficult.

The solution is not simply more worksheets.

The solution is identifying exactly where the gaps are and addressing them systematically.

What Parents Should Say Instead

Avoid:

“You’re just not trying hard enough.”

Instead try:

“You haven’t mastered this yet.”

Research by Dweck (2006) shows that focusing on growth rather than ability encourages persistence and resilience.

Final Thoughts

If your child says they’re bad at maths, don’t panic.

The statement often reflects a lack of confidence rather than a lack of ability.

With the right support, many students quickly discover they are far more capable than they realised.

References

Ashcraft, M. H., & Krause, J. A. (2007). Working memory, maths performance and maths anxiety. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 14(2), 243–248.

Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Random House.

Boaler, J. (2016). Mathematical Mindsets. Jossey-Bass.