«Sometimes I just sat there and waited»
We tell
Samuel: «I cried a lot in year 4. I didn't know what to do any more. I couldn't keep up with my maths. It was like an ICE speeding past. Every five minutes I asked the teacher how to do it properly. The teacher thought it was good. But I felt stupid. Sometimes I just sat there and waited. At home I said: "Mummy, you have to help me, I'm getting stuck.»
Sabine: «I realised early on that he needed more time. He suffered from it and didn't want to go to school anymore. I had to encourage him every day. I was worried about him myself, about his future. Sometimes we both cried. I thought I needed to learn more with him. But that only fuelled anxiety. If we did the maths casually, then it was: "How many tulips do we have in the garden? How many carriages does the train have?»
Samuel: «I'm still counting them. The train that looks like it's coming from outer space has four carriages. Apart from maths, I'm good at remembering things.»
«Every five minutes I asked the teacher how to do it. He thought it was good. But I felt stupid.»
Sabine: «Yes, he's quick at everyday things. Not everyone realised that. Sometimes he was told things like «He's just not the brightest». That made him even more insecure. With the support of special needs teacher Cécile Oehen, he slowly gained self-confidence.»
Samuel: «I came to Mrs Oehen because everything was going too fast. I did what I could in French. In German, I had a few obstacles in my way. In Maths, there were whole mountains. I was given a reduction in learning objectives and my own plan: for example, page 5 in the maths booklet on Monday and determining the hollow mass of vessels. Just that. Mrs Oehen said: «No, you're not stupid, you're intelligent. You have to ask, listen, work and ask again.» She explained the tasks to me very precisely. Everything became easier, the maths more lively. We filled measuring cups with water or stacked blocks. Towards the end of year 6, I realised that I had more self-confidence. Now I no longer go to Mrs Oehen. Things are going well at Real. We're not all that super intelligent. I know that's not true. We all need a bit more time.»
Sabine: «Samuel has more self-confidence. You can tell by the way he presents himself. The collaboration and dialogue with the school have helped him a lot. I support him myself by simply showing an interest in him. In the things he does.»
Samuel: «By simply being there.»
Read more about maths:
- Zero desire for maths
Hardly any other subject causes as much resentment as maths. Many children find maths difficult and some find it frightening. They lose interest and self-confidence. Why is this? And how do children enjoy maths? - «Catching up in maths is difficult»
Peter Geering, Professor Emeritus of Mathematics Didactics, teaches prospective teachers how to support children in maths. He says that success promotes enjoyment of maths and that children need one thing above all: more time. - 6 tips: How parents can help with maths
In hardly any other school subject do children learn at such different speeds as in maths. Once children have gaps, they lose motivation and soon feel like failures. Learning experts Fabian Grolimund, Stefanie Rietzler and Lis Reusser explain how mums and dads can help their children. - Dossier: Maths anxiety
Find out in this dossier why so many children struggle with maths - and how parents and teachers can support them. - «Can maths eat you?»
At the age of three he counted to 20, at five he discovered a system behind the maths. Today he is eight and realises that large numbers are unimaginable. Lian from the Bernese Seeland enjoys maths. - «Maths is a bit fun, but not quite»
Michelle, 12, from Bern likes to go her own way - whether on horseback or solving maths problems. Her mum Nicole loves maths just as much as she does. In lower school, Michelle wanted to be the best. Today, friends come first.