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Maths Mindset

How to build maths confidence

Use success, explanation, choice and praise for strategy rather than speed only.

Quick answer

You can build maths confidence by focusing on effort, learning from mistakes, making choices, and celebrating strategy over speed.

Learning outcome

By the end of this page, you will understand how to build your maths confidence using success, explanation, choice, and praise for strategy, not just speed. Success signs:
  • You can explain why trying different ways to solve a maths problem is helpful
  • You can choose which maths method works best for you
  • You can celebrate your progress, even if you don’t get the right answer first
  • You can ask questions when you’re stuck and learn from your mistakes

Why this matters

When you build maths confidence, you start to enjoy learning maths instead of fearing it. This mindset helps you solve harder problems, take on new challenges, and do better in school. Whether you're counting your toys, sharing cookies, or working out how many football goals you need to score, maths confidence helps you feel capable and clever.

How it works

Building maths confidence isn't about being perfect or fast. It's about learning how to think through problems and trying different ways to find the answer. Here's how you can do it:
  1. Focus on effort and progress – It's not about getting the right answer first. It's about trying your best and learning from mistakes.
  2. Explain your thinking – When you solve a problem, tell someone how you did it. This helps you understand it better.
  3. Make choices – You can choose how to solve a problem. If one way doesn’t work, try another.
  4. Praise strategy, not speed – If you solve a problem in a smart way, that’s more important than solving it quickly.

Examples you can see

Let’s imagine you are helping your little brother with his maths homework. He is stuck on a problem like: 4 + 6 = ? Option 1: He counts on his fingers. Option 2: He thinks of it as 10 – 6 = 4, so 4 + 6 = 10. Option 3: He uses a number line and jumps forward. Each way works, and each shows a smart strategy. If he tries one way and it doesn’t work, he can try another. That’s how we build confidence. Here’s a table of different ways to solve 4 + 6: Ways to solve 4 + 6
Method How it works Why it helps
Counting on fingers Count 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 It’s easy to start with
Using 10 Think of 4 + 6 as 10 – 6 = 4, so 4 + 6 = 10 It helps with bigger numbers
Number line Start at 4, jump 6 steps forward It helps visualise the problem
Let’s take another example. You are planning a party and need to share 12 cupcakes equally among 4 friends. You can:
  • Use counters or draw 12 cupcakes and divide them into 4 groups
  • Think: 12 ÷ 4 = 3, so each friend gets 3 cupcakes
  • Try sharing one cupcake at a time to each friend until all are shared
Each method shows a different way to think about the problem, and all are correct.

Try it as a mini adventure

Let’s go on a maths adventure to the "Maths Kingdom" where you are a brave explorer! Quest: Solve the Mystery of the Missing Numbers You are on a treasure hunt. To find the treasure, you must solve puzzles. Each puzzle has a missing number.
  1. First puzzle: 3 + ? = 7
  2. Second puzzle: ? – 2 = 5
  3. Third puzzle: 4 × ? = 12
You can solve each one using different strategies:
  • Try counting on for addition
  • Use a number line for subtraction
  • Think of multiplication as repeated addition
Each time you solve a puzzle, you get a clue to the treasure. If you get stuck, ask a friend or parent to help you think of a new way.

Common mistakes

  • Mistake: Thinking you must get the right answer first time. Why it happens: You might have heard that being fast is good or that being wrong is bad. Fix: Remember that learning is about trying different ways and getting better over time.
  • Mistake: Not explaining your thinking. Why it happens: You might feel silly or unsure about how you solved a problem. Fix: Practice telling someone how you did it. Even if it’s not perfect, it helps you learn.
  • Mistake: Thinking that if you don’t know a method, you’re bad at maths. Why it happens: You may have heard that everyone should know all the times tables. Fix: Every person learns at their own pace. You can use different methods to solve the same problem.

Parent and carer guide

As a parent or carer, you can help your child build maths confidence in just 5-10 minutes a day:
  • Ask open-ended questions: Instead of “What is 6 + 4?”, ask “How did you solve that?”
  • Encourage choice: Let your child choose how to solve a problem. For example, “Do you want to use counters or draw a picture?”
  • Focus on effort: Say “You worked really hard on that” instead of “You’re so smart.”
  • Embrace mistakes: If your child gets a wrong answer, say “Let’s see if we can find another way.”
  • Use real-life maths: Count money, measure ingredients, or plan a trip together. These make maths feel useful.

Practice questions

  1. What is 5 + 7? Try solving it in two different ways.
  2. How many groups of 3 are in 12? Use a drawing or a strategy.
  3. Which is easier for you: counting on or using a number line? Explain why.
  4. Try solving 6 × 4 using repeated addition.
  5. Can you think of a time when you solved a maths problem in a way that wasn’t taught in class?
Answers:
  1. 5 + 7 = 12. You can count 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 or think of 10 – 3 = 7, so 5 + 7 = 12.
  2. 12 ÷ 3 = 4. So, there are 4 groups of 3 in 12.
  3. Answers will vary. You might say, “Counting on is faster for small numbers.”
  4. 6 × 4 = 6 + 6 + 6 + 6 = 24
  5. Encourage creativity. For example, “I used my fingers to solve 8 + 5.”

FAQ

What does it mean to build maths confidence?

It means believing you can learn and improve at maths, even when it’s hard. It’s about trying, making mistakes, and learning from them.

Why is it important to focus on strategy, not just speed?

When you focus on strategy, you learn how to think through problems. That helps you solve harder problems and feel more confident in your maths.

How can I help my child if they are scared of maths?

Be patient, celebrate small successes, and let them choose how to solve problems. Avoid saying things like “You’re so slow” or “You’re not good at maths.”

Can I use games to build maths confidence?

Yes! Games like board games, card games, or cooking can help children see maths in fun ways. They can practice counting, sharing, and problem-solving without pressure.

What if my child doesn’t understand a new method?

That’s okay! They can try again, ask questions, or use a different method. Learning takes time, and it’s normal to not get it right away.