Ah, middle school… those preteen years filled with budding hormones, confusing feelings, and flip-flopping between being a child and a soon-to-be adult can be overwhelming for anyone. 

Add in the fact that suddenly math class has upped the ante, and it’s a surefire recipe for needing support!

Middle school math does not need to be intimidating or stressful

Middle school is often when many feel that math turns from simple arithmetic to complex problem-solving. While some kids (and adults) thrive with these sorts of challenges, many find math so hard to learn that they feel overwhelmed and defeated. Some kids get so anxious about anything math-related that they shut down completely.

If your child struggles with math, no one should feel ashamed or embarrassed about it. As their parent, you are in a great position to help you child–even if you find math intimidating as well. There are many things you can implement at home and resources to utilize that can make learning math concepts easier and even a little fun.

Math help for middle schoolers

As a twelve-year educator who spent my career teaching math and special education to middle and high schoolers, I’ve gathered some ideas to help both parents and students along the way.

Here are 4 tips to help your middle schooler make the transition from ABC’s and 123’s into pre-algebra a little bit smoother.

Middle school math is often a very different way of learning than elementary school- and that can send kids for a loop.

I’ve seen it countless times – the email that comes in from a parent that says something along the lines of, “My child has always been strong in math, and now suddenly they’re struggling. What is happening?!”

The truth of the matter is that in elementary school, we’re laying the foundation for the more advanced math concepts that we begin to introduce in middle school. For many students (and I’ve found this to be particularly true for those who might be on an honors or advanced track), in the elementary grades, it was enough to simply be in class, do what they’re told, participate in group activities, and they’d absorb the math relatively easily.

At least, they’d absorb enough of the math… but rarely did they achieve true, deep mastery of the material. But it wasn’t committed to long-term memory. Also, let’s be honest, parents… we tend to coddle our elementary sweeties (guilty as charged!).

Now, suddenly this student finds themselves in middle school where they’re being asked to recall information from two-to-three years ago that they only learned at a surface level, and by the time they can access that dusty folder in the dark corners of their memory, they have missed everything their teacher has said for the last half hour.

Or they are being asked to apply what they are learning and generalize the concepts across multiple problem types, and they have no idea what that means.

We’ve also decided that it’s sink or swim time, we’re done coddling, and we need to prepare them for high school, so buck up, kiddo– “you’re good at math, you figure it out!” 😳

So what should we parents do differently to support our kids better?

First, we can help them apply and generalize the math they’re learning in elementary school a bit better by taking more of an interest in what they’re learning, actually asking them about the worksheets they bring home, having them teach us what they learned that day, and finding ways to apply those topics to life at home. (Making a recipe and need ¾ cup of sugar but can only find your ⅛ measuring cup? That’s a perfect opportunity to practice fractions!)

When our middle schoolers come home with a new topic they can’t remember and it’s fuzzy in our own minds, or the method being used isn’t what we remember (let’s stop arguing about the way it’s taught and just roll with it, ‘kay?), head online and find resources together. Not only will your child learn the math, but they’ll also get to watch and take part in you persevering through a challenging task… which is a great life lesson for them to learn!

Reduce their math anxiety.

Math anxiety is a very real thing, and it’s separate from general anxiety, intelligence, learning differences, and laziness. It’s defined as “…tension and anxiety that interferes with the manipulation of numbers and the solving of mathematical problems in … ordinary life and academic situations” (US News).

You, as a parent, might have a bit of math anxiety yourself, stemming from years of uncertainty and unconfidence surrounding math. Teachers also might experience math anxiety. This can be passed along and projected onto a student fairly easily, so we as adults need to identify this in ourselves and allow students the opportunity to create their own experiences with math.

Some concrete strategies to practice with your middle schooler to help with immediate anxiety moments include:

• Deep breathing exercises (by calming the nervous system, we can reduce the overload on students’ processing abilities, freeing up space in their working memory to figure out the math… it’s similar to closing some windows on your computer to help it run faster and smoother).
• Consider incorporating mindfulness into their routine (check out this list of mindfulness apps here)
• Journaling or writing about their anxiety (identifying and naming their anxiety makes it feel less burdensome)
• Practice effective time management to lessen cognitive load and stress
• Be sure to eat regularly, drink water, and get plenty of rest and activity, because when your body feels good, it’s more likely that your brain can feel good, too (acknowledge that the reverse of this may be difficult to achieve at first– if the brain isn’t in a good place, it can be quite difficult to make the body feel better. Your child may need support with the other anxiety-reducing steps first, before tackling this one gently. Of course, if you suspect a serious mental health or eating disorder, please seek professional help.)
• Remind students that mistakes help your brain grow and that’s where the learning happens
• Avoid the phrase “not a math person” or saying that you/they “don’t have a math brain” – because if you have a brain, you can do math. It takes conscious reframing and effort, but it’s worth it.

Students with learning differences and/or disabilities might need extra or different support.

Usually, I see one of two things happen in middle school with my students with learning differences or who have an IEP (individualized education plan) / 504 plan: either they have been so supported by their families, peers, and teachers and have so many strategies under their belt that when they hit middle school, they really hit their stride and grow leaps and bounds academically; 

     -or-

they become so overwhelmed with the increased workload and cognitive demand, the challenging social pressures, and the new routine of switching classes that they shut down and panic. This can be a stressful situation, particularly when mom and dad are unsure of the best ways to support their student.

I can’t stress the importance enough that both parents and teachers are cognizant of our students with learning differences and/or disabilities to ensure that their transition to middle school (and middle school math, specifically) is as smooth as possible.

At the same time, kids are painfully aware at this age that their brains are operating differently from their neurotypical peers, so we have to do it in a way that supports the areas in which they need additional support without “outing” them in any way, shape, or form.

Parents should regularly check in with not only their child, but also each teacher, case worker/manager, special education teacher, counselor, etc. Anyone who is responsible for any piece of the well-being of their child should know that there is a very involved parent who is an equal partner in their child’s education. 

Teachers and service providers have expertise regarding their content or therapy area, but they don’t know your child outside the classroom like you do, so they don’t have the perspective that only you can bring to the table. If your child needs additional or changed support, remember that it’s your right as a parent to request a meeting with the IEP team at any point during the year. Any member of the team can call for a meeting at any time.

Research has shown us that students learn math best when they use multi-sensory experiences. That means involving as many of the five senses as possible. Some of these might be a little hard to incorporate into the classroom, so you might reinforce concepts at home by involving opportunities to see, hear, smell, taste, and feel the math.

Using music and dance, legos, games, cooking, or anything else that interests your child can help create that “core memory” to help the math make sense. Math should feel logical and shouldn’t focus on memorizing a bunch of tricks or rules because that doesn’t create understanding. Creating understanding is a key component to truly improving confidence and reducing math anxiety.

Online resources such as Almost Fun can also be used to help students build their confidence in their math learning and have concepts explained by a teacher in a different way. The nonprofit site features free resources with interactive practice elements, non-intimidating analogies, encouraging language, and step-by-step calculators for each skill.

Don’t wait too late to practice time management.

I’ve yet to meet a middle schooler who can independently manage their own time perfectly, and it’s something you’ll want to work on to prepare your student for high school and beyond. Middle school is the perfect opportunity to try out different planners, systems, check-ins, etc., to figure out what works for your child’s learning style and preferences while you’re still there to catch and support them. 

When I was in the classroom, I had a constant revolving calendar on my board with “This Week” and below it, a section called “Looking Ahead” for next week’s heads-ups. I frequently worked with students on creating semester-long pacing charts so that they reached their completion and assignment goals. Eventually, some of my students were able to fill out their charts by themselves, and it was an invaluable skill.

As a parent, you can sit down with your middle schooler and make a similar plan. It’s especially helpful for virtual or online courses where you know the schedule of lessons and assignments ahead of time.

This is an especially important skill to have for math classes because while cramming in a few weeks’ worth of assignments might be technically possible, your child’s brain simply can’t handle learning a few weeks’ worth of lessons and material at one time.

When it comes to math, It’s absolutely critical to spread work out, take breaks, and structure time effectively, or they’ll increase their math anxiety and be unable to function.

Middle school math can be fun for students and parents

While the transition to middle school can be pretty overwhelming at times, it can also be a time when your children learn just how compassionate, hardworking, and inspiring they can be.

With the help of their families and by partnering with their teachers and schools, the growth our kids can make during these transformative years is incredible. 

This is a contributed post by Katie Wood, an instructional designer at AlmostFun.org.

Are you in the thick of raising your tweens and teens? You may like this book by Whitney Fleming, the co-owner of Parenting Teens & Tweens: Loving Hard When They’re Hard to Love: Essays about Raising Teens in Today’s Complex, Chaotic World.

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