Research shows many children avoid math and reading because of anxiety, cognitive overload or learning differences. Los Angeles Unified is using tutoring, literacy reforms and adaptive technology to help students rebuild confidence.
If your child says, “I hate math,” or refuses to read, it may not be because they dislike learning.
Research in neuroscience and education suggests many children avoid math and reading because the experience has become stressful, frustrating or overwhelming. Anxiety, working memory challenges and learning differences such as dyslexia or dyscalculia can make schoolwork feel discouraging, causing students to disengage as a way to protect themselves from repeated failure.
That growing body of research is helping reshape how schools approach literacy and math instruction, including at the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) has expanded tutoring, retrained teachers in evidence-based reading instruction and introduced adaptive learning technology designed to identify learning gaps before students fall further behind.
For California parents, the question is becoming less about whether children are using technology in the classroom and more about whether schools are using the right mix of human instruction, targeted intervention and digital tools.
Why math can feel threatening to the brain
Researchers have found that children who struggle with math may experience genuine stress when faced with arithmetic problems.
Brain imaging studies suggest that math anxiety can activate the amygdala, a region associated with fear and threat detection. When that happens, the prefrontal cortex, which supports problem-solving and working memory, may become less effective.
A study published in the Journal of Neuroscience also found differences in brain regions involved in recognizing and correcting mistakes, helping explain why repeated errors can make some students shut down rather than improve.
Educational researchers estimate that a significant share of students experience math anxiety, which can undermine confidence and willingness to practice.
Why reading becomes frustrating
Reading challenges often begin long before a child says they dislike books.
Many struggling readers have difficulty with phonological awareness, the ability to hear, recognize and manipulate speech sounds. Without that foundation, decoding words demands so much mental effort that little working memory remains for understanding the text.
Children may finish a sentence but forget its meaning before reaching the next one. Over time, frustration can replace curiosity.
Research supporting the “Science of Reading” emphasizes explicit instruction in phonics and language structure, particularly in the early grades, to build those foundational skills.
How LAUSD is responding
LAUSD has adopted several districtwide strategies to address reading and math achievement.
Science of Reading
The district has trained more than 10,000 educators in structured literacy approaches rooted in the Science of Reading. Schools serving students with the greatest academic needs have also received additional instructional support and targeted literacy resources.
High-dosage tutoring
Following a legal settlement related to pandemic learning recovery, LAUSD committed to providing approximately 10 million hours of tutoring over multiple years for more than 100,000 students.
The goal is to provide consistent, personalized instruction that helps students build confidence while addressing specific academic gaps.
Adaptive math instruction
LAUSD has expanded the use of Illustrative Mathematics alongside adaptive digital platforms such as i-Ready Learning.
These programs assess individual skill levels and provide targeted practice rather than the same assignments for every student.
Where artificial intelligence fits in
The district also launched Ed, an artificial intelligence platform designed to give students and families personalized academic recommendations, learning resources and progress tracking.
The rollout encountered significant setbacks after the third-party company supporting key chatbot functions experienced financial problems. LAUSD subsequently disabled some AI features while continuing to provide access to educational resources through the platform.
The experience illustrates both the promise and the challenges of using AI in K-12 education. Technology can help identify learning gaps and personalize instruction, but educators and parents continue to debate how much screen time is appropriate and how AI should complement, rather than replace, teachers.
What parents can do at home
Experts say families can support learning by:
- Praising effort instead of speed or perfect scores.
- Reading together regularly, even with older children.
- Breaking homework into shorter sessions.
- Encouraging questions without fear of mistakes.
- Talking with teachers if learning struggles persist.
- Asking whether school-based tutoring or intervention programs are available.
Early support can prevent temporary struggles from becoming long-term barriers to learning.
Why this matters
As California schools work to recover from pandemic learning disruptions, the conversation is shifting from test scores alone to understanding why some students disengage in the first place.
Research increasingly suggests that many children do not dislike math or reading by nature. Instead, they struggle when foundational skills, confidence or appropriate support are missing.
For families, recognizing those underlying causes can lead to earlier intervention and better outcomes. For schools such as LAUSD, combining evidence-based instruction, targeted tutoring and carefully implemented technology may help more students succeed without treating screens as the solution to every learning challenge.
