🧠 Understanding Maths Anxiety & Dyscalculia Toolkit

Support for UK Primary Teachers and Parents

📘 What Is Maths Anxiety?

Maths anxiety is a feeling of tension or fear that interferes with numerical tasks. Children may avoid maths, show signs of panic, or develop low self-confidence.

🧠 What Is Dyscalculia?

Dyscalculia is a specific learning difficulty related to number sense, sequencing, and spatial reasoning. It can affect a child’s ability to understand and work with numbers over time.

🔍 How to Spot It

Inconsistent maths results
Struggles with telling time or handling money
Difficulty learning number facts or following steps
Emotional reactions or avoidance of maths

🔬 Research-Backed Strategies

Use manipulatives like bead strings or Numicon
Multi-sensory learning with songs, visuals, and games
Game-based repetition to build fluency
Teach maths vocabulary explicitly
Use growth mindset language

🎲 Confidence-Building Maths Games

Game	Skill	How to Play
Dice Duel	Number recognition	Roll two dice. First to say total wins a point.
Number Jump	Number line fluency	Use chalk or tiles to jump in 2s, 5s, or 10s.
Snap for Bonds	Number bonds to 10	Match two cards that make 10.
Time Target	Telling time	Match clock faces to digital time.
Money Match	Value recognition	Match coins to amounts on a chart.
Fraction Pizza	Fractions	Use play food to split into halves, thirds, etc.

💬 Growth Mindset Prompts

“You don’t get it yet — but you will.”
“Let’s break it into smaller steps.”
“We’re learning something new, and that’s brave.”

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✅ Maths confidence tracker template
✅ Affirmation flashcards
✅ Visual number bonds chart

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