To the Editor:
Although math anxiety is a sad and significant barrier to student learning (鈥淩esearchers Develop Scales to Measure Students鈥� Math Anxiety,鈥� May 17, 2017), it is not an unsolvable problem. Ironically, an article published in the same issue of Education Week (鈥淒o Digital Learning Games Improve Young Students鈥� Mathematics Skills?鈥�) suggests a good solution: math games.
Working with numbers just for the fun of it develops students鈥� skills and makes them feel comfortable with various math operations. If kindergartners who suffer from severe mathanxiety were given simple games with numbers appropriate for their age group鈥攂etween zero and 10鈥攊nstead of math problems on paper, many young children might start their schooling with the conviction that math is, and will continue to be, fun.
Joanne Yatvin
Retired School Principal
Portland, Ore.
