We all can vouch for the formidable influence the subject of Maths has had on us. That panic during Math classes, while doing the homework, or even the thought of studying it for exams. Most often we come across statements like “I just need passing marks and then I will be done with this”. Even though we have always acknowledged the fear, no one ever took a pause to question the source of and the reason behind this “Math anxiety/phobia”.
Aadya Academy, one of the best schools in Bangalore, recognises this anxiety and aims to foster an encouraging environment that helps students overcome the fear of Maths, with the introduction of Math labs. This article explores Aadya Academy's innovative approach to dealing with mathematics while highlighting the fears associated with the subject, as well as strategies to help students overcome them.
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Why do Students Fear Maths?
Let’s look at some possible sources that nourish this fear and establish themselves as strong reasons for steering clear of mathematics:
- Lack of Mastery of Early Math Skills: This acts as a major contributor to anxiety. Without acquiring the fundamentals, children are expected to carry out complex calculations. This adds to the uncertainty of getting the right answers and grows into anxiety.
- Faulty Method of Teaching: More often than not, rather than leaning towards a method that is easy to comprehend, teachers employ methods that are difficult to understand as well as to apply in the real world.
- Lack of Positive Association with the Subject: Children naturally engage with reading and drawing for fun before school, but math lacks this early exposure. By the time they start school, math feels unfamiliar, making it harder to interpret and understand.
- Similar to Test Anxiety: The objectivity of the subject can be intimidating for kids who are already afraid of failure. Just like a test, the existence of a right or wrong answer and the time restrictions can be an added burden.
- Not Encouraging Mistakes: With a subject like maths, the approach of learning through mistakes has never been motivated. Rather than evaluating their mistakes, students get demotivated, planting the ultimate doubt of incapacity in their heads.
- Lack of Practice: Even with thorough understanding, the concepts will easily get lost in students without timely practice. There could be situations in which students might have a good grasp of concepts but struggle while practising the problems.
Importance of Maths in Our Lives
- Foundation for Future Career Options: Apart from the personal development, the subject has to offer, Maths plays an immense role in aiding future career options. With competitive exams being channels for admissions and placements, understanding the concepts of maths has become imperative as it is present in all such exams.
- Real-world Applications: Maths is everywhere. Be it for a CEO, biologist, rocket scientist, artist, or even for a real estate agent, maths shows its significance for all walks of life. These days, with coding becoming a hobby for most of the youth, having a good understanding of maths can help them further their interests and talents.
- Excellent for your Brain: The construction of mathematics acts as food for the brain which modifies the functioning of our brain, contributing to greater creative and analytical skills. When children solve a problem by breaking it down to its premises, observing the relations, and approaching it rationally, it prepares them for real-world problems and they are able to utilize certain parts of the brain more reliably.
How to Remove the Fear of Maths?
The subject definitely deserves a second chance and innovative methods of teaching and introducing this subject can provide the necessary redemption:
- Engaging students in the dramatization of arithmetic problems or forming shapes to understand corners and edges better. For example, teachers can assign students to act as characters from word problems, wherein a student can be a buyer, one can be a seller and some other can act as a producer.
- Using children’s toys to introduce basic concepts of addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication which can be employed in playschools as well as at home. Using various interactive apps available for devices that have an attractive interface can also help.
- Tapping into students’ natural creativity to understand the idea behind maths. This can be introduced by engaging them in conversations revolving around the concepts.
- Peer teaching is also an effective channel that allows students to be more open about their doubts through discussion. Students who have clarity regarding the concepts can engage other students in discussions.
Modern Approach: Math Lab
To overcome the fear of Maths, in Math Labs, the children are encouraged to exercise their practical acumen through the use of learning materials and curriculum-specific kits. The lab also offers them ample opportunities to practice and master mathematical concepts in concrete, pictorial and abstract ways.
Students learn with models, experiments, activity books, worksheets, pie-charts, observations and much more – making Math learning an exciting and joyful experience.
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Aadya Academy - The World School: A Beacon of Holistic Education
Aadya Academy - The World School (AWTS) in Kannuru, Bangalore, has established itself as a trailblazer in delivering holistic education since its inception in 2022. Known for its commitment to character education alongside academic excellence, AWTS is dedicated to nurturing future-ready students with ethical values, critical thinking skills, and a global perspective.
With an impressive student-teacher ratio of 20:1, the academy ensures that every child receives personalized attention, fostering an environment where individual talents are nurtured. Currently, AWTS serves a diverse community of over 2,000 students from Pre-Kindergarten to Grade XII, creating a vibrant and inclusive atmosphere for learning and growth.
The Maths lab at AWTS is designed with modern equipment and sophisticated scientific instruments. It has multiple resources like the Math Buddy kits, Fraction kits, Roman Number kits, Place Value kits and many more that help the students to understand concepts in depth thereby fostering lifelong learning. The lab is equipped with 3D models that enforce fun learning and provide an opportunity to touch and deduce the mathematical properties associated with it.
One of the best CBSE schools in Bangalore, AWTS boasts state-of-the-art facilities, including modern smart classrooms, a fully equipped science and robotics lab, a comprehensive library with over 10,000 titles, and expansive sports grounds. These resources enhance the educational experience, encouraging students to explore, innovate, and excel in various domains.
For more information on this and other similar schools in the area, check out this list of the best schools in Bangalore.
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