Children Give Up on Maths in Early High School – Stop the Cycle Early

Stop the cycle of kids giving up on maths in high school

STEM subjects are becoming increasingly important as the world becomes more digitised, yet many Australian children are mentally giving up on maths in early high school. This disengagement can have a detrimental effect on their university access and future career choices.  

If your child has begun high school and is struggling with maths, Year 7 maths tutors can help. Let’s take a look at why kids give up on maths in early high school, and how you can stop the cycle early with Year 7 and Year 8 maths tutoring. 

I can’t do maths

Maths understanding develops from a very early age. Understanding size, shapes and patterns, concepts like less and more, and recognising numerals and counting all begin to lay the foundations for the maths your child will learn in formal education. 

Mathematics is a core subject on the Australian Curriculum from Prep right through to Year 10 – and making mathematics compulsory to Year 12 is currently under discussion. That’s a lot of years of maths to get through for a child that dreads each lesson! 

Many people claim to find mathematics difficult and are of the mindset that “I can’t do maths.” This self-limiting belief is often hereditary, with parents feeling unable to help their children, and children leaving school with a big sigh of relief that they won’t ever have to do mathematics again – until they have kids of their own asking for help with maths homework.   

The truth is maths doesn’t have to be difficult. We subtly solve maths problems all the time in everyday life. It’s not just about budgeting and paying bills. Mathematical concepts are used in sports, manoeuvring a car or bicycle, organising your daily to-do list, packing bags, cooking, and even in folding laundry.  

You and your child are already succeeding at maths – don’t let scary words like indices and Cartesian planes hold you both back when Year 7 maths tutoring can help break the cycle. 

The transition to high school maths

Through primary school, your child has been taught mathematical concepts visually and tactilely, with water play, wooden blocks, modelling clay, bright colours, and fun imagery. This engages with the senses and helps children understand how mathematics fits into the world around them in a fundamental way. 

In high school, maths lessons are structured differently. Expectations are higher and more focus is required. With the many social and environmental adjustments ranking higher on your child’s priority list, the transition from primary to high school is often the point where students mentally ‘opt out’ of maths.  

Regaining mathematical confidence

Mathematical confidence will benefit your child across ALL their subject areas.  

A sound understanding of mathematics helps learning in science, in interpreting data in humanities subjects, and even in organising copy and content structure in written English. It opens up more career pathways in STEM and trade subjects, enriches daily life, and increases earning potential. 

If your high school child has disengaged from maths learning, it’s important to get them back on track as soon as possible. 

Year 7 and Year 8 maths tutoring

At A Team Tuition, our tutors know how to connect with your child to change “I can’t do maths” to “maths is easy.” We recognise that every child has a different learning language and match your child to a tutor that teaches in a way your child can understand. 

A Team Tuition offers online tuition and tutoring in your home in many key locations across Australia.

Contact us today to find the right
A Team Tuition Year 7 or Year 8 maths tutor for your child.