Most children love mathematics, but a good number detest the subject. Is it because they are afraid or are low achievers, or is it due to poor-quality teaching? A few pointers on how such children can overcome this stumbling block.

Children as young as two instinctively choose a glass with "more" soft drink, part with just "one" chocolate when asked to share, and have no trouble counting on their fingers to tell you how old they are.

Research too has clearly established that children have an innate understanding of numbers, and that it is practically 'hard wired' in infants from the moment of their birth. Most children love mathematics because of its instantly logical appeal and rationality.

Unfortunately, others begin to fear mathematics as they move into the higher grades. Feelings of fear may grow to resemble what many parents and teachers loosely describe as "maths phobia". Part of this feeling of fear is rooted in the child's belief that "I can never do this".

Part of it may be the result of poor-quality teaching, for example, if the curriculum is delivered without allowing sufficient time for the student to fully understand the concept.

Janet Perez, an eighth-grader from Abu Dhabi, writes: "I always loved maths till I got this new teacher who just doesn't know how to explain. She is in such a hurry that I feel I cannot solve anything. I feel stupid, and have begun to hate the subject."

Experts have found that by the time they are 12 years old, students who feel threatened by mathematics start avoiding maths courses, do poorly in the few maths classes they do take, and earn low scores on maths-achievement tests.

In another American study, experts noted that when a teacher focuses on giving students negative feedback – "This answer is wrong" – and ignores any correct step in the sequence, it leaves the students feeling discouraged. The study also found that teachers had an inadequate understanding of alternative strategies and how to teach a particular concept. For example, if a third grader was unable to understand division, the teacher was unable to identify another method that could work for that student.

Sandra Waite-Stupiansky, associate professor of elementary education at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, teaches three- through ten-year-olds at the Miller Laboratory School. She points out that teachers should be careful not to be overly dependent on manipulatives. We need to analyse what we ask our children to do in "hands-on" maths, and make sure that they are not simply "going through the motions". Doing maths means thinking mathematically.

Let's take a lesson using tangrams. Teachers can be lured into presenting the tangrams in a "see how many combinations you can find" or "memorise all of the ways you can make a square" manner. But, the former results in the generation of many solutions without purpose; the latter in children using mnemonic devices to memorise the positioning of the pieces. Neither of these lead to very fruitful thinking.

The challenge is to create situations whereby the manipulatives are used for uncovering, not just discovering. For instance, if the teacher challenges the children to use the three smallest tangrams to form a square – then a rectangle, triangle, and trapezoid – students have a problem that clear thinking and purposeful activity can solve. A widespread misconception is that low-achieving students are more prone to maths anxiety than 'bright' students because mathematics requires some kind of a 'superior' intelligence.

One obvious way of overcoming maths anxiety is through "drill and practice". But what really increases self-confidence is the child's ability to apply concepts to real-life problems independently. It is this intuitive understanding of maths that goes a long way in helping children overcome their fear of numbers.