For some children, the mere thought of a times tables test brings a racing heart, sweaty palms and a mind that goes blank. This is maths anxiety, and it is far more common than many parents realise. Crucially, it is not the same as being bad at maths — in fact, anxiety often hides genuine ability by blocking a child’s access to what they know. The encouraging news is that maths anxiety can be eased with patience and the right approach. This article explains what it is and offers practical strategies to help.
Maths anxiety is a feeling of tension and fear that interferes with number work. It can appear as a child avoiding maths homework, saying “I’m just no good at maths”, going quiet or tearful during arithmetic, or freezing during timed tasks even when they know the material.
Because working memory is where we hold facts while we use them, and because anxiety consumes working memory, an anxious child genuinely has less mental space available for calculation. This is why a child might answer easily at home yet struggle under test conditions.
Maths anxiety has many roots. Fast-paced timed tests, fear of being wrong in front of others, and comparison with peers can all contribute. Sometimes it is inadvertently passed on by adults who describe themselves as “not a maths person”, which teaches children that struggling with maths is a fixed trait rather than a normal part of learning.
Understanding that the anxiety is learned, and therefore can be unlearned, is the first step towards helping.
Timed drills have their place, but for an anxious child they can be counter-productive. Begin by removing the clock entirely. Let your child answer at their own pace so they can rediscover that they do, in fact, know the facts. Speed will follow naturally once confidence returns.
When you do reintroduce timed practice, frame it as a personal challenge to beat their own previous score rather than a race against others. Our Timed Challenge tracks a personal best precisely so that the competition is only ever with oneself.
Children take their emotional cues from the adults around them. Talk about maths in a relaxed, positive way and treat mistakes as useful information rather than failures. Phrases such as “let’s work this out together” and “you haven’t learned this yet” send the message that ability grows with effort.
Avoid describing yourself as bad at maths, even in jest. Instead, let your child see you approach a problem with curiosity, or admit cheerfully that you had to think hard about it too.
Start where your child feels secure, even if that means revisiting an easy table. A run of successes rebuilds the belief that maths is something they can do. From that foundation you can gently increase the challenge, always staying within reach.
Praise the process — the effort, the strategy, the persistence — rather than labelling the child as clever. This keeps motivation resilient when the work gets harder.
Games and low-stakes activities strip away the fear of judgement. A child who dreads a written test may happily play a multiplication card game or answer questions in a friendly app that responds with encouragement rather than red marks.
Keep sessions short and stop before frustration sets in. Ending on a positive note means your child will approach the next session with less dread and more willingness.
No. Maths anxiety and mathematical ability are separate. Anxiety often masks real ability by occupying the working memory a child needs to calculate. Reducing the anxiety usually reveals the skill underneath.
Not permanently, but it helps to pause them while confidence rebuilds. Reintroduce timing gently as a personal challenge rather than a competition with others.
If anxiety is severe, persistent or affecting your child’s wellbeing more broadly, speak to their teacher and, if needed, your GP. A supportive school can make a significant difference.
You can find more articles like this on the Times Table Hero blog.