Arithmophobia, also known as numerophobia, is an extreme fear of numbers. It can manifest itself in a fear of all numbers or just specific numbers. Math anxiety, also known as math phobia, is anxiety about a person's ability to do math. It can be caused by a variety of factors, such as a lack of self-esteem, negative experiences in mathematics, or gender, culture and beliefs.
Math anxiety can be measured using different scales that can help teachers teach students effectively. Math anxiety has been around for a long time and it affects many people. It can lead to poor math ability in school and later in adulthood. Researchers have studied how math anxiety first appears, what happens in the brain when people experience math anxiety, and how best to help people who suffer from math anxiety. Dyscalculia is a learning difference that causes problems with mathematics, but it is not the same thing as math anxiety. Math anxiety can cause children to question their math skills, even if they have strong skills.
When a student doesn't learn multiplication tables at an early age, they may experience math anxiety later on when all the classmates can remember the tables but they can't. In college and university, anxious math students take fewer math courses and tend to have a negative attitude toward the subject. Therefore, one of the easiest ways to reduce math phobia is for parents to be more involved in their children's education. A person with math anxiety doesn't necessarily lack math skills, but they can't realize their full potential because of the interfering symptoms of their anxiety. This study was repeated with women who were encouraged to approach mathematics or who received neutral training. Some children may have a tendency to come home and complain that they aren't as good at math as one of their classmates.
Children expect to do poorly on a math test because they don't understand the material, even after studying. It can be easy to think that dyscalculia and math anxiety are the same thing, especially since the signs may look alike. For example, if a teacher reads aloud a math problem, the student should keep all the numbers in their mind, consider the steps necessary to solve the problem, and write down the answer at the same time. I also want to know why some children like math and do well while others feel nervous about math and find it difficult. Another idea is that math anxiety develops in children who experience certain types of social situations that influence the child's thoughts or feelings. In her workbook Conquering Math Anxiety, Cynthia Arem offers specific strategies to reduce math avoidance and anxiety. Dyscalculia is a learning difference that affects math skills such as counting, remembering math facts, and understanding math concepts.
While there are general similarities with regard to the acquisition of mathematical skills, researchers have shown that children's math skills differ from country to country. This would mean that young children (who don't do complicated math yet) don't experience math anxiety.
