Why kids have trouble understanding math symbols

All kids need time and practice to learn how math symbols represent quantities. Here are signs that kids may be struggling with these concepts:

• Counting on fingers long after classmates have switched to pencil and paper

• Remembering math facts but struggling with problems that have steps, like “carry the 1”

• Not being sure if two quantities are equal, like 2 + 4 = 3 + 3 

• Having trouble comparing fractions and understanding that ¼ is smaller than ½ (even though 4 is bigger than 2)

One thing that’s not a sign young kids are having trouble understanding math symbols: writing 2’s and 3’s backwards. With time and practice, most kids learn which way numbers (and letters) go.

Learn more about math skills kids learn at different ages.

What’s so tricky about learning the meaning of math symbols? Part of the answer involves learning how to generalize. Kids need to learn that the symbol “4” can mean four apples, four inches, four days — four of anything.

That’s a big idea. Kids need to be explicitly taught that “4” means a group of four. They also need to be taught that “4” means the group is larger than a group of three and smaller than a group of five.

Learn more about an important group of math skills called number sense.

Many schools teach young kids to solve math problems using small objects like buttons or Popsicle sticks. (Teachers might call these objects manipulatives.) Moving them around helps kids think about adding or subtracting quantities.

But as kids get older, they have to solve math problems using written numbers. Maybe they can easily solve an addition problem by combining two bundles of Popsicle sticks. But write that problem as an equation (10 + 10 = _ ) and kids may not be sure what each symbol means.

Learn how moving around objects and making drawings can help kids do abstract math. 

Some kids think the = sign means “that is” rather than “equals.” They may be confusing an equation with a series of steps. 

For example, they may do OK with 3 + 2 = 5 because they read it as “When you add three plus two, that adds up to five.” But this kind of thinking can cause problems when the equation is flipped around. Kids may not know how to interpret 5 = 3 + 2. They may try to keep thinking about it as a series of steps: “When you start with five, you end up with three plus two.”

Learn more about why kids struggle with math.

Kids develop math skills over time. Struggling with a new skill might just mean a child needs more time and practice to learn it. 

But if a child has been struggling for a while, it may be time to ask for extra help. If kids aren’t solid on what math symbols mean, they’ll have a tough time doing things like adding and subtracting.

• Get tips for talking with teachers about trouble with math.

• Use visual aids like placing fractions on a number line. This helps kids see how big each fraction is and compare it to other numbers.

• Learn about “new math” problems and methods.