A Personal Connection

Math seems to cause a lot of homework stress, even for mathematically inclined parents!

My family of mathematicians couldn’t quite understand why I, as a dyslexic person, couldn’t see math the way they did. 

Years later, when my son arrived with a brain very similar to mine, I went looking for better ways to support him. Since then, I’ve worked with many struggling mathematicians. 

At Fraser Academy Outreach & Training Centre (FA^x), we’ve seen that when we support students in building foundational skills, simple changes at home can make a significant difference too.

Identify the block

Before intervening, pause and identify the barrier: What is making this hard?

Most difficulties fall into three broad areas:

• Conceptual: They don’t really understand what the math operation means.
• Procedural: They understand the concept but can’t remember the steps, math facts, or calculations needed to solve it.
• Anxiety: Their stress response has taken over. High anxiety shuts down working memory, making clear thinking tough.

Pinpointing the exact barrier ensures you provide the right kind of help your child needs.

Supporting Procedural Struggles

As math develops over the years, it becomes more complex, which taxes working memory. If students have to work hard to calculate basic facts, they have less mental space for the actual problem and more opportunity for small calculation errors.

• Focus on building math fact fluency:
  In elementary, this is a high-leverage practice. Start with accuracy, without time pressure. Once a fact is accurate but still slow, timed practice can help develop faster recall.
  

• Apps can gamify this process:
  There are many affordable, fun options. Finding one that engages your child and supports them either with non-timed fact learning or fast fact retrieval can make a huge difference.

Make it fun: Some apps we like right now include Times Tables Rock Stars , Math Fact Lab, and Rocket Math. 

Supporting Conceptual Struggles

Look at the problem another way! If your child is stuck, try drawing the problem.

• For a word problem: Sketch what is happening in the scenario.
• For a concept: Draw or build a representation of it, using blocks, diagrams, etc.
• Comparative: Draw a diagram with your child and talk through how you each see the problem.

Seeing the math can be the difference between “I have no idea” and “Ohhh – now I get it.” At FA^x we take students behind the numbers so they can see and understand what the math actually means.

What’s next

If the same struggles keep appearing, they may be missing something foundational.

At FA^x, our Math Essentials Program is designed for students who struggle with math due to procedural, conceptual, or anxiety-based difficulties, despite regular classroom instruction.

Working one-on-one with your child, we take a structured, multisensory approach to break grade-appropriate concepts into manageable, visible, concrete pieces before building skills so they understand the foundations and can handle increasingly abstract math.  

You do not need a psycho-educational assessment or a formal diagnosis to enroll. If your child needs support, they qualify.

Have questions? Reach out to our team at FAx@fraseracademy.ca to discuss your child’s needs or learn more about our 1:1 Math Essentials program on our website.