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Abstract

Math anxiety can be characterized as feelings of apprehension or distress that individuals experience when faced with tasks or activities associated with mathematics. Due to its prevalence, math anxiety is a growing issue for teachers who seek to uplift and prioritize the comfort, well-being and success of their students. Failure to address math anxiety can significantly hinder a student’s learning, lower their academic performance, and negatively cloud their overall attitude towards mathematics. In gathering and sorting resources associated with prevailing positions regarding math apprehension, this paper aims to explore math anxiety’s impact on students' learning, and the benefit of collaborative efforts between parents and teachers to curtail math anxiety. In doing so, this paper details a purposeful approach to teaching mathematics that is conducive for those students who experience math anxiety. It discusses the importance of a supportive classroom environment and implementing unique instructional strategies while identifying various measures that can be used to assess the progress of students who are trying to overcome math anxiety. As an elementary school, third-grade teacher, this paper—and the approach it depicts—is also a reflection of the lessons I learned while teaching two students with math anxiety this past year. It should be noted, moreover, that any general statements that are made about beneficial, strategic instruction are rooted in my own experiences.

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