1 . Math anxiety is a feeling of worry or fear people have when they have to do a math task. Kids can feel anxious about math without it becoming a problem. A little stress about a math problem can even help kids be more productive.     1     It can even cause kids to lose interest in school. This fear of math is very common. Researchers believe about 3 to 5 percent of kids experience math anxiety.

    2     They may worry they’ll do poorly on a math test, even though they understand the material and have studied hard. They try to avoid going to math class when there’s a quiz or a test. Some of them get good grades on math homework, but not on tests.

We don’t know exactly what causes math anxiety.     3     We can’t prove that tests cause math anxiety, either. Math anxiety runs in families, so genetics may play a role. Repeated bad experiences with math could, too. Having underlying (潜在的) trouble with math can also lead to math anxiety.

Understanding basic math concepts (概念) can help reduce math anxiety. But it’s just as important for kids to believe in their ability to do basic math.     4     What you don’t want to do is completely remove math from a child who’s feeling math anxiety. That’s not helpful. Some stress can be good. The goal is for kids to feel the right level of challenge. Parents and teachers should work together to help kids with math anxiety.