“Pens down.”
For many students, those words trigger an instant wave of panic. Hearts race, minds go blank, and ideas that felt clear moments before suddenly disappear. If this sounds familiar to you or your child, it is not a sign of weakness. It is a very human response, and there is a reason for it.
Timed maths tests are often meant to build speed and confidence. In reality, they can do the opposite. When a timer starts, anxiety rises. That anxiety takes up working memory, which is the mental space students rely on to hold numbers, follow steps, and reason through problems. When working memory is overloaded, students are much more likely to guess or abandon strategies they actually understand. Over time, this can reinforce the belief that they are simply “not good at maths”, even when the ability is there.
The problem is not that students are slow. The problem is that pressure gets in the way of thinking.
Speed in maths does not come from rushing. It comes from familiarity. When ideas are properly understood and revisited regularly, responses naturally become quicker. This is how fluency develops, and it happens far more effectively in a calm environment.
What Works Better
1. Untimed Fluency Practice
Short, regular practice sessions help students build confidence without the fear of getting it wrong under pressure. As patterns become familiar, speed improves naturally. Calm repetition builds accuracy, confidence, and long-term recall far more effectively than timed drills.
2. Number Talks
These are short discussions at the start of a lesson where students explain how they reached an answer. There is no single method that has to be shown. The focus is on thinking, not performance. Hearing different approaches helps students see that maths is flexible and that their way of thinking has value.
3. Spaced Retrieval
Instead of focusing on one topic at a time, questions are mixed across weeks. Older ideas come back alongside new ones. This strengthens memory, deepens understanding, and reduces the panic that comes from feeling like everything has been forgotten.
Together, these approaches build something far more important than speed. They build trust. Trust in the process. Trust in one’s own thinking. Trust that maths is something you can grow into, not just get through.
A Simple Activity to Try at Home
Write down three different ways to show the number 0.75. You might use a fraction, a percentage, a decimal, or even a real-life example. Say them out loud and explain how you know they are equivalent. Take your time. There is no clock running.
When students feel safe to think, their brains stay open. When their brains stay open, learning happens more easily. Speed is not the starting point. Understanding is.
About Ilse Roets
Ilse Roets is the founder of Square Roets Maths and a passionate advocate for lifelong learning. With over two decades of experience in maths education, she has supported hundreds of students in rebuilding confidence and overcoming maths anxiety through personalised, thoughtful teaching. As a dyslexic educator and lifelong learner, Ilse brings empathy, insight, and practical strategies to every child she works with.
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