Parent guide

My child struggles with maths: what can parents do?

How parents can recognise knowledge gaps, maths anxiety and learning difficulties and support teenagers with their learning.

edventure Studios7 min read

A woman supports a child studying at a table

Difficulties in mathematics can have many causes. The transition to upper-secondary education, including Austrian AHS, HTL and BHS schools, often reveals gaps that developed in earlier school years. Sometimes, however, learners lack confidence, suitable study strategies or a calm learning environment.

Poor grades therefore do not automatically mean that teenagers are not trying hard enough or are inherently bad at mathematics.

This article offers parents guidance on how best to support their children.

1. Common signs of maths difficulties

Poor test grades are often only the visible result of difficulties that have been present for some time.

Does maths homework take unusually long, or does your child immediately reach for a calculator even for simple calculations? Can they follow the explanation in class but struggle to solve a similar task independently at home?

These observations do not immediately indicate a calculation disorder. Often, individual foundations needed for the current topic are missing.

The key is to find out where the difficulties begin.

2. Gaps in foundations and understanding

Mathematics builds particularly strongly on previously acquired knowledge. If essential concepts are not sufficiently understood or practised, difficulties can emerge years later.

Uncertainty with fractions, for example, makes it harder to rearrange algebraic expressions and equations, or may only become apparent when learners need to calculate the gradient of a straight line.

The same applies to working with negative numbers, expanding brackets and rearranging formulas.

In upper-secondary school, these gaps often become visible when a new topic starts. The current material can quickly seem especially difficult, even though the underlying problem lies elsewhere.

It can therefore be more useful to return briefly to simpler tasks from earlier school years than to work through ever more examples on the current topic. But where should you start?

A good starting point is to ask your child to explain their working step by step. Which steps can they already manage? Where do they become uncertain? Which rules do they recognise but still struggle to apply independently?

This makes practice more focused and helps avoid unnecessary frustration.

3. Maths anxiety and exam stress

Not all maths difficulties are caused by missing knowledge. Some teenagers solve tasks easily during practice but suddenly feel blocked during a test.

Subject difficulties and maths anxiety can reinforce each other: understanding little can create uncertainty, while approaching a task with anxiety can make it harder to concentrate on the solution.

Pressures outside school can also make learning harder.

Start by listening and finding out together when the problems occur. Talking to the maths teacher can help distinguish gaps in subject knowledge from other difficulties.

Blame or additional pressure to perform rarely helps in these situations. Teenagers need to feel able to discuss difficulties openly and understand that mistakes are a normal part of learning.

More ideas for approaching maths anxiety

4. Five ways to support learning at home

Parents do not need to be maths experts to support their child. Creating good conditions for learning is often more helpful than trying to explain difficult tasks yourself.

1. Practise regularly in small steps

Agree on a small, specific and achievable goal together. This might mean solving two equations independently or revising fractions for ten minutes.

Involve your child in the planning. An extra obligation can then become a manageable shared undertaking.

2. Short study sessions are demonstrably more effective

Long practice sessions are not automatically effective. Twenty minutes of focused study followed by a break is more effective when done regularly. The duration should match the learner’s current workload and ability to concentrate.

Especially after a long school day, it is important to leave enough time to rest.

3. Investigate mistakes together

Mistakes are a valuable source of information. Rather than simply correcting an incorrect calculation, take a closer look:

What exactly happened? Was a sign overlooked or a rule confused? Or was the initial approach to the task unclear?

Record recurring difficulties and ask your child to work on a similar task later.

This helps show whether a rule has actually been understood.

4. Work with the teacher

Ask early which foundations will be particularly important for upcoming topics and which practice tasks would be suitable.

When there are larger gaps, the teacher can help set useful priorities.

5. Make progress visible

Use small rewards: good grades are not the only achievements that deserve recognition.

Solving a task independently for the first time is rewarding in itself. Small shared rewards can also provide extra motivation to keep up daily practice. The main focus should be the experience of building knowledge through one’s own effort.

5. When personal tutoring can help

Not every difficulty calls for immediate tutoring. Smaller knowledge gaps can often be addressed through targeted revision.

However, if problems persist, explanations are missing or studying together at home regularly leads to arguments, an additional person can help.

Good tutoring should do more than complete current homework or rehearse tasks for the next test. Understanding the causes of the difficulties and addressing them directly matters.

Discuss a specific learning goal with the tutor beforehand: understanding algebraic fractions, structuring word problems or revisiting particular foundations for an upcoming test.

Current school tasks and previous working help the tutor assess the difficulties more clearly.

Explore our online maths tutoring and free trial session

6. Calculation difficulties and dyscalculia: when is assessment useful?

In some cases, the difficulties go deeper than individual gaps in knowledge.

Calculation difficulties and dyscalculia are often treated as equivalent in everyday language. Austrian guidance for schools nevertheless distinguishes difficulties learning arithmetic from a diagnosed calculation disorder.

A calculation disorder particularly concerns basic mathematical abilities, such as understanding quantities and numbers or reliably using the basic arithmetic operations.

If basic calculation difficulties persist over a longer period with little progress despite targeted support, professional assessment may be useful.

Marked anxiety, concentration difficulties or learning problems across several subjects can also be reasons to seek additional advice.

The teacher and, where appropriate, school psychology services are initial points of contact. Diagnosing a calculation disorder requires suitable standardised procedures and, in Austria, belongs with qualified clinical psychologists or medical professionals.

Professional assessment and educational support do not exclude each other. Teenagers can and should receive suitable learning support even before a diagnosis is available.

7. Check mathematical foundations with the maths check

A learning assessment can provide a starting point for anyone who wants to find out where their mathematical foundations remain uncertain.

The free Konomondo maths check presents tasks based on the selected school type and year. Participants then receive a breakdown of their results and the skills assessed.

These results can provide a starting point for addressing knowledge gaps and planning the next learning steps.

We have also developed a separate test that examines areas including understanding quantities and numbers. It can highlight difficulties that may point to possible calculation difficulties or dyscalculia.

Important: this test does not replace a scientifically validated diagnostic procedure. It can offer initial indications of difficulties but cannot reliably identify or rule out dyscalculia. Where there is a concern, professional assessment is advisable.

Start the quantities and numbers test (German)

Check maths foundations for free

Sources and editorial responsibility

This article was written by edventure Studios from a mathematics education perspective. It offers guidance for parents and does not replace individual medical or psychological advice.