Understanding Numeracy Difficulties in the Classroom
It is National Numeracy Day 2025, a day to remind us of the vital role that numeracy plays in children’s lives- not only in school, but for modern life. Yet for lots of our children and young people, numeracy isn’t just a subject, it’s a source of anxiety or pure confusion! I must admit, as a child that was me. The word ‘maths’ was enough to make me want to crawl under the table and hide. But why do some children seem to have this aversion to maths, and is there anything we can do about it?
As educators, understanding the roots of numeracy difficulties is key to supporting our children effectively. Challenges with numeracy are rarely caused by just one issue, they often result from a complex interplay of environmental, cognitive, number-specific, and affective factors.
1. Environmental Factors 🌳
A child’s early experiences can significantly influence how they engage with maths later on. For some, numeracy at home is part of everyday life: counting biscuits, recognising shapes, or talking about the time. For others, these opportunities are limited and these early gaps can widen as children move through school, especially if early interventions aren’t in place. Environmental factors can include:
- Societal expectations (e.g., Asante (2012) found that girls demonstrated lower self-efficacy, self-concept, and self-confidence in their maths ability than boys.
- Exposure to maths-related language and number
- Adult’s attitudes to numeracy and maths
- Teaching and learning environment
2. General Cognitive Factors 🧠
Numeracy relies heavily on working memory, attention, and processing speed. If a child has difficulty holding multiple pieces of information in mind then they may struggle even when they understand the concept. General cognitive factors include:
- Working memory and long-term memory
- Spatial ability
- Language skills
- Processing skills
3. Number-Specific Cognitive Difficulties 🔢
Some children experience difficulties that are specific to numerical understanding, such as:
- Struggling with number sense — the intuitive understanding of numbers and their relationships.
- Difficulty with subitising — recognising small quantities without counting.
- Trouble understanding numerical symbols or place value.
- Retrieval of arithmetic facts or basic number facts
4. Affective Factors 😊
A child’s attitude towards maths can significantly shape their approach to it and ultimately their success with it. Maths anxiety is real, and can in extreme cases cause avoidance behaviours, reduced motivation, and even a belief of “I’m just not a maths person.” Affective factors include:
- Anxiety
- Perceived levels of support
- Perception of competence in maths
- Concentration and attention
- Attitude towards maths
Crucially, these areas rarely exist in isolation. A child with poor early maths exposure (environmental) may have gaps in their foundational knowledge, leading to anxiety (affective), which affects their ability to concentrate (cognitive), and limits their confidence in developing number skills (number-specific). Therefore, intervention must be holistic. It’s not enough to teach content, we need to understand context. By considering the whole child, we stand a better chance of breaking the cycle of struggle and helping every learner develop a positive relationship with numeracy.
What Can We Do as Educators?
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Build early foundations: Emphasise early number skills, even in KS2, where necessary. NCTEM has some fantastic early math resources.
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Support working memory: Use visuals and LOTS of manipulatives to reduce cognitive load e.g., number squares, number lines, dienes, Numicon, cubes…
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Foster confidence: Celebrate small wins and provide opportunities for success, not just correction.
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Talk about maths positively: Model enthusiasm and openness even when maths is hard. Try to encourage a growth mindset, instead of ‘I’m not good at maths’ – ‘I’m finding division tricky, but I’ll get there!’
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Collaborate: Work with SENCOs, educational psychologists, and families to build joined-up support.
