Is My Child Falling Behind in Maths? 7 Signs WA Parents Should Watch For

As a parent, it is not always easy to know whether your child is simply finding a particular maths topic difficult or whether they are beginning to develop gaps that could affect their progress later.

A disappointing test result on its own usually isn’t a reason to worry. Every student has topics they find more challenging than others.

The bigger concern is when difficulties start becoming consistent.

Maths is a subject that builds progressively. Skills such as number sense, fractions, decimals and percentages form the foundation for later topics such as algebra, equations, measurement, probability and senior secondary mathematics.

When an earlier concept is not properly understood, students can sometimes continue for months — or even years — by memorising procedures. Eventually, however, the gaps become harder to work around.

Here are seven signs WA parents can watch for, particularly during the upper-primary and secondary-school years.

1. Homework Is Taking Much Longer Than It Should

One of the first signs parents notice is that maths homework seems to take an unusually long time.

Your child might:

• spend a long time staring at relatively straightforward questions
• repeatedly ask what a question means
• become distracted whenever maths homework begins
• need help with almost every question
• take an hour to complete work that would normally take much less time

This doesn’t necessarily mean your child lacks ability.

Sometimes students understand the current topic but are missing one of the skills underneath it.

For example, a Year 8 student learning algebra may appear to have an algebra problem, when the real difficulty is weak understanding of negative numbers or fractions.

More homework isn’t necessarily the solution. The first step should be finding where the understanding begins to break down.

2. Your Child Says, “I Understand It in Class, But I Can’t Do It at Home”

This is extremely common.

A student may follow a teacher’s worked example perfectly well and feel confident during the lesson. But when they face a similar question independently that evening, they suddenly don’t know how to begin.

Why?

Watching someone solve a problem and solving the problem independently require different levels of understanding.

A student may have learned to copy a procedure:

Step 1 → Step 2 → Step 3

but not fully understood why those steps work.

A useful question for parents to ask is:

“Can you explain to me why you did that step?”

You don’t need to know the mathematics yourself.

If your child can clearly explain their reasoning, that is often a positive sign.

If they repeatedly answer:

• “That’s how the teacher did it.”
• “I don’t know.”
• “That’s just the formula.”
• “I remember doing something like this.”

there may be a gap in conceptual understanding.

3. Basic Skills Are Still Causing Difficulty

As students move through school, the questions become more complex — but many questions still depend on fundamental skills learned in earlier years.

Watch for recurring difficulty with areas such as:

• multiplication and division
• fractions
• decimals
• percentages
• ratios
• negative numbers
• basic mental calculations
• interpreting graphs and tables
• rearranging simple expressions

For example, a student might understand how an algebraic equation is supposed to be solved but repeatedly make mistakes when dividing by a fraction or working with a negative number.

This can be particularly frustrating because the student may understand the new topic but lose marks because of weaknesses in an older topic.

These small gaps are worth addressing early because mathematics is cumulative.

4. Your Child Relies Heavily on a Calculator

Calculators are important mathematical tools, and students should absolutely learn how to use them appropriately.

The concern is not calculator use itself.

The warning sign is when a student becomes dependent on the calculator for basic number understanding.

For example, consider:

50% of 80

A student with strong number sense may immediately recognise that 50% means one-half and therefore know the answer is 40.

Another student may immediately reach for a calculator without understanding the relationship between the numbers.

Similarly, students should gradually develop a sense of whether an answer is reasonable.

If a calculator produces 4,800 when the expected answer should be approximately 48, does your child notice that something has gone wrong?

Strong mathematics isn’t simply about obtaining an answer.

It includes being able to:

• estimate
• recognise patterns
• understand relationships between numbers
• judge whether an answer makes sense

These skills become increasingly important as students progress into more advanced mathematics.

5. Their Test Results Are Gradually Declining

One low test result isn’t necessarily significant.

Look instead for a pattern over time.

For example:

78% → 71% → 63% → 54%

A gradual decline can suggest that earlier gaps are beginning to affect newer topics.

It is also worth looking beyond the overall mark.

Ask:

Where are the marks actually being lost?

There is a big difference between a student who:

• understands the mathematics but makes occasional careless mistakes

and a student who:

• regularly leaves questions blank because they don’t know how to start.

Look through several assessments rather than just one.

Are the same types of mistakes appearing repeatedly?

Are fractions continually causing problems?

Are worded questions being skipped?

Are algebra questions consistently incorrect?

Does your child lose marks because they do not show sufficient working?

Patterns usually tell you much more than a single percentage.

6. Your Child Avoids Maths or Says “I’m Just Bad at Maths”

This is one of the most important signs to notice.

Students often begin avoiding subjects when they repeatedly experience difficulty.

You may hear comments such as:

“I hate maths.”

“I’m just not a maths person.”

“I’ll never understand this.”

“There’s no point trying.”

Sometimes the problem is described as a lack of confidence.

But confidence and understanding are closely connected.

Imagine being asked questions every day that you don’t fully understand while everyone around you seems to be moving ahead.

Eventually, avoiding the subject becomes an easier response.

Simply telling a student to “be more confident” may not help.

A more effective approach is often to identify the specific gap, teach it clearly and then provide questions at the right level so the student begins experiencing success again.

Competence can help rebuild confidence.

7. Your Child Can Do Familiar Questions but Struggles When the Question Changes

This is particularly important as students move into secondary school.

A student might successfully answer:

25% of 200

but become confused when asked:

A jacket originally costs $200 and is discounted by 25%. What is the new price?

The mathematical skill is closely related, but the student now needs to:

1. interpret the situation
2. identify the relevant information
3. determine which operation is required
4. complete the calculation
5. check whether the answer is reasonable

Students who rely heavily on memorised procedures often perform reasonably well when questions look familiar but struggle when mathematics is presented in an unfamiliar context.

This is why good maths learning should include more than repetitive worksheets.

Students also need opportunities to:

• reason
• interpret information
• explain their thinking
• solve unfamiliar problems
• apply concepts in different situations

These skills become increasingly important throughout secondary school.

So, Is My Child Actually Falling Behind?

Not necessarily.

Any student can struggle with an individual topic.

Instead of focusing on one bad result, look for several signs occurring together over time.

For example:

• homework is becoming increasingly difficult
• assessment results are falling
• your child cannot explain their reasoning
• basic skills are causing repeated mistakes
• maths is creating increasing frustration
• your child is beginning to avoid the subject

That combination deserves closer attention.

What Should Parents Do First?

If you are concerned about your child’s maths progress, you don’t necessarily need to immediately enrol them in more classes.

Start by gathering information.

1. Talk to your child’s teacher

Ask specific questions rather than simply:

“How is my child doing?”

Try asking:

• Which areas are they finding difficult?
• Are there particular skills from previous years that need strengthening?
• Do they participate confidently in class?
• How are they performing compared with the expected year-level standard?
• Are they having difficulty understanding concepts or completing work accurately?

This can help you determine whether the problem is isolated or more persistent.

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2. Look at several pieces of schoolwork

Review:

• recent tests
• class exercises
• homework
• teacher feedback
• reports

Try to identify repeated patterns.

Three assessments showing the same misconception are more informative than one unusually poor result.

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3. Find the gap before adding more work

If a Year 9 student is struggling with algebra because their fraction skills are weak, giving them another 50 algebra questions may simply create more frustration.

The underlying fraction skills need attention first.

Effective intervention should therefore ask:

“What does this student need to understand before they can successfully learn the current topic?”

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4. Practise regularly rather than excessively

Consistency is usually more valuable than occasional marathon study sessions.

For many students, short and focused practice several times a week can be more productive than spending several hours on maths once a week.

Practice should also have a purpose.

Ten carefully selected questions targeting a genuine misconception can be more useful than 50 repetitive questions the student already knows how to complete.

When Should You Consider Extra Maths Support?

Additional support may be worthwhile when:

• learning gaps have continued for several months
• your child is increasingly frustrated with maths
• school assessments consistently identify the same weaknesses
• earlier gaps are interfering with current topics
• your child needs significant help completing routine schoolwork
• confidence is beginning to decline
• your child understands concepts with support but struggles to work independently

The goal of tutoring should not simply be to push a student further ahead.

Good maths support should help a student understand where they are now, what is missing and what needs to come next.

How Edulift Approaches Maths Support

At Edulift, we believe maths improvement starts with understanding the student — not simply giving every student the same worksheet.

Our approach is to identify areas of strength and learning gaps, then provide targeted practice that helps students progressively build understanding.

For students who need additional support, this may involve revisiting earlier concepts before moving back to their current schoolwork.

For students who are already performing strongly, it may involve more challenging problem-solving and extension work.

Our focus is on helping students develop:

• strong mathematical foundations
• conceptual understanding
• accurate working methods
• problem-solving skills
• confidence working independently

Edulift provides mathematics support for students across primary and secondary year levels in Perth, with learning aligned to the Western Australian curriculum.

Concerned that your child may have gaps in maths?

Contact Edulift to discuss your child’s current year level, schoolwork and areas of difficulty. We can help you identify the type of support that may be most useful.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if my child needs a maths tutor?

One difficult topic or poor test result does not necessarily mean tutoring is required. Look for recurring difficulties such as declining results, problems with basic skills, heavy reliance on help with homework, increasing frustration or gaps that continue across several topics.

Why is my child suddenly struggling with maths?

Maths becomes increasingly cumulative as students progress through school. Sometimes a difficulty that appears new is actually connected to an earlier skill that was never fully understood. Changes in teaching style, increasing complexity and reduced confidence can also contribute.

Should my child practise maths every day?

They do not necessarily need long daily study sessions. Short, regular and purposeful practice can be very effective. The quality of the questions and whether they address the student’s actual learning needs matter more than completing large numbers of repetitive exercises.

Can a student catch up if they are behind in maths?

In many cases, yes. The important step is identifying the underlying gaps rather than simply repeating the student’s current schoolwork. Once foundational concepts become stronger, students are often better able to understand later topics.

What maths skills are most important before secondary school?

Students benefit from strong number sense and confidence with operations, fractions, decimals, percentages, ratios, measurement and basic problem-solving. These skills provide an important foundation for the increasing use of algebra and mathematical reasoning in secondary school.

Need More Support?

Not sure whether your child has a maths learning gap?

Edulift supports primary and secondary students with targeted maths learning aligned to the Western Australian curriculum.

Contact Edulift to discuss your child’s learning needs.