Show Notes
"I was never any good at maths." "He just doesn't have a maths brain." "I'm just bad at it." This episode takes that phrase apart to consider where it comes from, what it actually covers up and why it does more damage than we tend to notice.
I look at why "bad at maths" isn't a description of a child, but a verdict that closes down the search for what's actually going on. And I talk about what happens once a child believes it: how the goal shifts from understanding maths to simply surviving it, and the strategies children develop to manage that.
We cover: Why nobody is born bad at maths, and what's really happening when difficulties start to emerge The idea of a fixed mindset versus a growth mindset, and why "bad at maths" is a fixed mindset applied to an entire subject What's usually hiding underneath the label – maths anxiety, working memory pressure, or a missed concept further back The coping strategies children develop once they've accepted the label, from hiding finger-counting to reading a teacher's tone instead of the maths itself Why the language you use, especially when you're tired or worried, matters more than most parents realise Practical changes to the way you talk about maths at home, including one small word worth adding to your vocabulary
There's a practical takeaway at the end, and a companion guide to help you put it into practice with your own child.
Access the companion guide here: https://learn.aedds.co.uk/cgsu
Next episode: What dyscalculia actually means.
More from Safety in Numbers: For Parents of Children with Maths Difficulties
"What does this mean for my child's future?" is one of the first questions parents ask once dyscalculia is properly on their radar.
Maths conversations at home can turn into battlegrounds without either parent or child quite knowing how it happened. In this episode, I look at what's really going on underneath those difficult conversations and why the goal isn't getting one conversation right, but understanding what every conversation is building over time.
If you've ever left a parents' evening reassured, only to watch your child struggle just as much at home the following week, this episode is for you. I look at why "my child is getting support" and "my child's support is actually working" aren't the same thing, and what tends to get in the way of the second one, without any of it being anyone's fault. I also cover the different, less obvious shapes a maths difficulty can take at school: the helpful child, the funny one, the child who's called lazy or easily distracted, and why a parent is often the one person who can see what's really going on underneath.
Your child can do the method at home. They can explain it, work through it calmly, get the right answer. Then in class, or in a test, or the moment they're put on the spot, it disappears.
If your child still uses their fingers to work out maths, you may have wondered whether they should have grown out of it by now.