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Math anxiety makes capable kids look incapable by eating the working memory they need. Here’s how to spot it, what makes it worse, and what actually helps.

The short version To divide fractions, keep the first fraction, change ÷ to ×, and flip the second fraction upside down. Then multiply across and simplify. Whole numbers and mixed numbers need one prep step first: write a whole number over 1 (5 becomes 5/1) and turn a mixed number into an improper fraction (2…

The short version The not equal sign is ≠. It means the two sides have different values. 7 ≠ 4 reads “7 is not equal to 4.” To type it: Option + = on a Mac, Alt + 8800 on a Windows number pad, or type 2260 then Alt + X in Word. On a…

The short version There are 1,000 millions in a billion. 1,000,000,000 ÷ 1,000,000 = 1,000. A million has 6 zeros and a billion has 9. The 3 extra zeros are a factor of 1,000. To turn billions into millions, multiply by 1,000: 2.5 billion = 2,500 million. To go the other way, divide by 1,000….

The short version Corresponding angles are pairs of angles in the same position at two different intersections, formed when one line (the transversal) crosses two other lines. When the two lines are parallel, corresponding angles are equal. If one is 65°, its partner is 65°. It works backwards too: if a pair of corresponding angles…

The short version A product is the answer you get when you multiply. In 6 × 7 = 42, the product is 42. The numbers you multiply are called factors. “Find the product of 8 and 5” means 8 × 5 = 40. A product isn’t always bigger than the numbers you started with. Multiplying…

The short version The distributive property says a(b + c) = ab + ac. Multiply the number outside the parentheses by every term inside, then add. It works with subtraction too: a(b – c) = ab – ac. So 5(x – 2) = 5x – 10. With a negative outside, the sign goes to every…

The short version Zero is even. It’s divisible by 2 with no remainder: 0 ÷ 2 = 0, remainder 0. Zero can be written as 2 × 0, and any number you can write as 2 times a whole number is even. On the number line, odd and even take turns: -3 odd, -2 even,…

The short version The associative property says you can change how numbers are grouped in addition or multiplication without changing the answer: (a + b) + c = a + (b + c) and (a × b) × c = a × (b × c). Only the parentheses move. The numbers stay in the same…

The short version A line segment is a straight part of a line with two endpoints. It has a fixed length you can measure. A line goes on forever both ways, a ray has one endpoint and goes forever one way, and a segment stops at both ends. Segment AB is written with a bar…