Deborah Tillman on “I’m bad at math!”

America's Supernanny Deborah Tillman says that when a child is struggling with math — or any subject — parents need to step in quickly to help. Here's how.

by: The GreatSchools Editorial Team

Here’s how 4 other parenting experts say to respond…

Danica McKellar
“Math isn’t for nerds!” says Danica McKellar, best-selling author of Kiss My Math. She wants kids, especially girls, to know they can learn to love math. Format: Article

Sheila Tobias
The author of the seminal book on math phobia, Overcoming Math Anxiety, says that every child — save a rare few — can succeed at math. Here’s how. Format: Article

Carol Dweck
Stanford researcher and Mindset author Carol Dweck says when kids utter this common refrain, respond using a powerful word that changes everything. Format: Video (0:42)

Kalid Azad
Math whiz Kalid Azad says the best response to this lament is to help kids discover math in the world around them. Format: Article

About the author

The GreatSchools Editorial Team

GreatSchools.org is a national nonprofit with a mission to help every child obtain a high-quality education that values their unique abilities, identities, and aspirations. We believe in the power of research-backed, actionable information to empower parents, family members, and educators to help make this happen. For 25 years, the GreatSchools Editorial Team has been working to make the latest, most important, and most actionable research in education, learning, and child development accessible and actionable for parents through articles, videos, podcasts, hands-on learning resources, email and text messaging programs, and more. Our team consists of journalists, researchers, academics, former teachers and education leaders — most of whom are also dedicated parents and family members — who not only research, fact check, and write or produce this information, but who use it in our daily lives as well. We welcome your feedback at editorial@greatschools.org.