--- title: "Why Multiplayer Maths Games Are a Real Antidote to Maths Anxiety in Neurodivergent Children | XTables Champions" description: "Elisa at XTables Champions explores why multiplayer game-based learning reduces maths anxiety in neurodivergent children, and why solo drill apps often make it worse." lang: en json-ld: | [ { "name": "XTables Champions", "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "WebSite", "url": "https://xtableschampions.com" }, { "name": "XTables Champions", "logo": "https://qtrypzzcjebvfcihiynt.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/base44-prod/public/68cac2c61c34894625d63273/cae3abbca_logo.png", "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Organization", "url": "https://xtableschampions.com" }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://math-magicians-academy-25d63273.base44.app/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "multiplayer maths games send maths anxiety", "item": "https://math-magicians-academy-25d63273.base44.app/multiplayer-maths-games-send-maths-anxiety" } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "What is maths anxiety and how does it affect neurodivergent children?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Maths anxiety is a genuine stress response, not simply disliking a subject. For neurodivergent children, including those with ADHD, dyslexia or dyscalculia, the pressure of timed recall tasks can trigger elevated cortisol levels that actively interfere with mathematical thinking. The brain's threat response competes with the cognitive processes needed to retrieve and apply knowledge, which is why anxious children often go blank in test conditions even when they know the material." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Why do timed maths tests cause anxiety in primary school children?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Timed tests create a high-stakes performance environment where the child's focus shifts from the maths itself to their own performance and what the outcome says about them. Research in educational psychology links this kind of isolated, timed pressure with measurable stress responses in children. For neurodivergent learners, who may already feel singled out or different, this effect tends to be amplified." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How do multiplayer educational games help children with maths anxiety?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Multiplayer games shift the emotional context of maths practice entirely. Instead of performing alone under scrutiny, the child is playing socially, with shared stakes and a sense of fun. Research into gamification suggests this lowers the stress response associated with maths and increases task persistence. Children stay engaged for longer and practise more, without the dread that solo drill apps can trigger." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Are there multiplayer maths games designed for primary school SEND pupils in the UK?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes. XTables Champions is a times-tables and maths fluency web app built specifically with SEND-friendly design at its core, including multiplayer game formats aimed at children in Years 4 to 6. Rather than a traditional drill format, it embeds maths practice inside game environments that neurodivergent children find genuinely engaging." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How is XTables Champions different from other maths apps for SEND children?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Most maths apps bolt engagement on top of a drill structure. XTables Champions starts from popular game formats that children already enjoy and builds the maths practice into the game itself. The multiplayer element is central, not optional, and the entire design has been shaped around the needs of children with maths anxiety, ADHD and other neurodivergent profiles." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What is the Multiplication Tables Check and why does it matter for anxious learners?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The Multiplication Tables Check (MTC) is a statutory Year 4 assessment in England in which children are tested on their times-tables recall under timed conditions. For children with maths anxiety or neurodivergent needs, preparing for this check can be a stressful period. Tools that build fluency through low-pressure, social and playful practice are much better suited to these learners than additional timed drill apps." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How can a SENCO or teacher find out more about XTables Champions?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The best first step is to visit xtableschampions.com and get in touch directly. We are a founder-led team at an early stage, and we genuinely want to have real conversations with SENCOs and teachers about what their pupils need. There is no automated funnel, just a proper conversation about whether this is the right fit for your school." } } ] } ] --- [ XTables Champions Part of the ESSTA Kids family ](/Welcome) [About Us](/About)[Rewards ](/OurRewards) Tips & Tricks [Games](/Games)Login [ XTables Champions Part of the ESSTA Kids family ](/Welcome) [Learn](/levels-and-progression) [Games](/GamesOverview) [All Games](/GamesOverview)[Connect Four](/connect-four)[Guess Who?](/guess-who)[Times Tables Bingo](/times-tables-bingo)[Snap!](/snap)[Play with Friends](/games/play-with-friends)[Play against Champion](/games/play-against-champion) [Every Learner](/times-tables-for-every-learner) [Adaptive Learning](/adaptive-times-tables-learning) [Schools](/ForSchools) [Lunchtime Clubs](/LunchtimeClubs)[SENCO Support](/SchoolSencoInfo)[Homework Setting](/SchoolHomeworkSetting)[Whole-Class Games](/SchoolWholeClassGames)[Level Matching](/SchoolLevelMatching) [Wellbeing](/wellbeing-and-safeguarding) [Pricing](/pricing) Log In / Sign Up [Back to all articles](/Blog) # Why Multiplayer Maths Games Are a Real Antidote to Maths Anxiety in Neurodivergent Children 20 June 2026 Here is my honest takeaway, right at the top: if a child is struggling with maths anxiety, sitting them in front of another solo drill app is very likely making things worse, not better. And the latest thinking in educational research is starting to catch up with what many teachers and SENCOs have been saying for years. When I looked into this more carefully recently, I came across a growing body of work from gamification researchers and EdTech journals that makes a compelling case: **multiplayer, social game-based learning measurably reduces stress responses in children who find maths frightening**, particularly those who are neurodivergent. That is not a small finding. It matters enormously for how we think about maths tools in primary schools. ## The Problem With Solo Drill Apps Let me be honest about what a lot of maths apps actually look like in practice. A child with maths anxiety or ADHD sits alone, staring at a timer counting down, a sequence of questions appearing one after another, and a score waiting to judge them at the end. Even if the branding is friendly and colourful, the underlying experience replicates almost exactly the thing that created the anxiety in the first place: the timed test. Research into stress physiology consistently links timed, high-stakes recall tasks with elevated cortisol responses in children, and neurodivergent children appear particularly sensitive to this. The pressure of performing alone, with no social buffer, no shared stakes, and no sense of play, puts many of these children right back into a fight-or-flight state. Their brains, quite literally, stop being able to access mathematical thinking at that point. What I keep hearing from the schools and SENCOs we speak to is a version of the same story: "We tried an app, the child refused to open it after the first week." That is not a willpower problem. That is a design problem. ## What Multiplayer Changes (And Why) This is where the research becomes genuinely exciting. When maths practice is embedded in a social, multiplayer game context, several things shift. The child's attention moves from "Am I getting this right?" to "Are we winning?". The social element creates a shared emotional experience that dilutes individual performance anxiety. Playing alongside or against peers, within a game world the child already loves and finds engaging, changes the emotional register of the whole activity. Studies in gamification and educational psychology point to lower cortisol responses and higher task persistence in group game-based learning compared to individual drill formats. For children with ADHD, the fast-moving, interactive nature of multiplayer games also plays to their strengths rather than punishing their differences. The engagement is intrinsic. They are not tolerating maths in order to get to a reward. The maths is woven into the game itself. As our founder Gal Darrash puts it, \*"We built this around games children actually want to play. The times tables come along for the ride."\* That philosophy is not just a nice idea. It is increasingly what the research supports. ## Why This Matters Right Now for UK Primary Schools Year 4 in England means the Multiplication Tables Check. Every child sitting that check who has maths anxiety faces a genuinely difficult few months of preparation, and teachers face the challenge of building fluency without deepening fear. For neurodivergent children, that tension is even sharper. What I find striking, looking at what is being discussed in EdTech circles right now, is that the conversation is finally moving beyond "how do we make drill more engaging" toward a more fundamental question: "Should it be drill at all?" The evidence is starting to suggest the answer is no, at least not in the isolated, timed, solitary form that most apps default to. SENCOs in particular are under pressure to find tools that are inclusive by design, not inclusive as an afterthought. A tool built around social play, popular game formats, and low-stakes repetition is simply a different category of thing to a traditional maths app with a shiny new coat of paint. ## What We Are Building at XTables Champions XTables Champions was built specifically for this gap. We are a young company, and I will not pretend we have decades of data behind us, but the thinking that shapes every design decision here comes directly from what the research is pointing toward. Our app puts children inside multiplayer game environments that they recognise and enjoy, and times-tables practice happens as part of the game, not as a gate before the game. The SEND-friendly design is not a feature we added later. It is the starting point. Low pressure, social play, formats that work for neurodivergent learners, and a focus on engagement over performance scores. In the early conversations we have had with Year 4 to 6 teachers and SENCOs, the consistent reaction is that this approach feels different to what they have tried before, in a way that matters for their most anxious learners. That is genuinely what we are here to do. ## Talk to Us About Supporting Your Pupils With Maths Anxiety If you are a SENCO, a Year 4 to 6 teacher, or a senior leader thinking about how to support neurodivergent children and those with maths anxiety through times-tables fluency, I would love for you to get in touch with us directly. We are at a stage where we want to have real conversations with schools. Not a sales call. A proper conversation about what your pupils need, what you have already tried, and whether XTables Champions could be the right fit for your setting. You can reach us through [xtableschampions.com](https://www.xtableschampions.com) and we will get back to you personally. If you are a parent reading this because your child is struggling, the same applies. We want to hear from you. The more we understand about what children with maths anxiety are actually experiencing, the better we can make this. ## Frequently Asked Questions What is maths anxiety and how does it affect neurodivergent children? Why do timed maths tests cause anxiety in primary school children? How do multiplayer educational games help children with maths anxiety? Are there multiplayer maths games designed for primary school SEND pupils in the UK? How is XTables Champions different from other maths apps for SEND children? What is the Multiplication Tables Check and why does it matter for anxious learners? How can a SENCO or teacher find out more about XTables Champions? ## Ready to help your child? Join thousands of families using XTables Champions to make multiplication click. Get Started Free XTables Champions Game-based times tables for children aged 6 to 11. No timers, no tears. For parents, schools and tutors. Part of ESSTA Kids. #### Platform - [Schools](/ForSchools) - [Levels & Progression](/levels-and-progression) - [Our Programme](/Programme) - [Rewards](/OurRewards) - [Pricing](/pricing) - [About Us](/About) - [Learning Philosophy](/LearningPhilosophy) - [Contact](/Contact) #### Community - [Insights](/Insights) - [For Parents Blog](/Blog) - [Tips & Tricks](/TipsTricks) - [Success Stories](/SuccessStories) - [Events & Competitions](/Events) - [Live Results](/Results) - [Lunchtime Clubs](/LunchtimeClubs) #### ESSTA Kids Expert learning programmes for children who need extra support. [Visit esstakids.com →](https://esstakids.com) © 2026 XTables Champions, An ESSTA Kids Programme. All rights reserved. [Privacy Policy](/PrivacyPolicy)• [Terms & Conditions](/TermsConditions)• [Sitemap](/sitemap.xml) XTables Champions Game-based times tables for children aged 6 to 11. No timers, no tears. For parents, schools and tutors. Part of ESSTA Kids. #### Platform - [Schools](/ForSchools) - [Levels & Progression](/levels-and-progression) - [Our Programme](/Programme) - [Rewards](/OurRewards) - [Pricing](/pricing) - [About Us](/About) - [Learning Philosophy](/LearningPhilosophy) - [Contact](/Contact) #### Community - [Insights](/Insights) - [For Parents Blog](/Blog) - [Tips & Tricks](/TipsTricks) - [Success Stories](/SuccessStories) - [Events & Competitions](/Events) - [Live Results](/Results) - [Lunchtime Clubs](/LunchtimeClubs) #### ESSTA Kids Expert learning programmes for children who need extra support. [Visit esstakids.com →](https://esstakids.com) © 2026 XTables Champions, An ESSTA Kids Programme. All rights reserved. [Privacy Policy](/PrivacyPolicy)• [Terms & Conditions](/TermsConditions)• [Sitemap](/sitemap.xml)