Math was always a strong skill of mine as a kid. The subject was one in which I excelled. Until Algebra II, that is. At this time, I came to the painful experience that arithmetic was not my strong point. It was almost provocative to watch others who had prospered in the same math classes as I advanced to the next higher track while I continued to take courses in the lower math track. I concluded that I was not a “math person.”

I am observing that we as a community are increasingly dividing individuals into “math people,” also known as mathematically minded people, and others who are not. Those who are not “math people” often dislike the subject, which should not be the case.

The fact is that a person’s mathematical aptitude has little to do with their ability to study mathematics. “Numeracy is essentially an intrinsic skill, inherent in individuals from birth and reinforced via formal schooling,” according to the study. If humans have an inbuilt propensity for math, categorizing each other as “math people” or “non-math people” is meaningless. “There are neither ‘excellent’ nor ‘poor’ arithmetic learners,” Gottschalk says, adding that this intrinsic ability to acquire numeracy is encouraging in the education sector.

We employ mathematical functions intuitively and unconsciously, even if we do not realize it. Although we may not all employ more complicated mathematical skills daily, this does not contradict (and should not deny) the reality that we have innate talents and dispositions toward numeracy as humans. We can concentrate on the extra benefits of continuing mathematics study for our brains with that in mind.

What Does The Search Say?

Learning arithmetic has been demonstrated in several studies to stimulate different brain areas. One study, led by Ryuta Kawashima of Tohuku University, compared brain scans of children playing video games versus simple math exercises and discovered that while video games only influenced the visual acuity and movement regions of the brain, simple math exercises enhanced activity in the left and right areas of the frontal lobe, implying that learning math has benefits.

According to the study, completing arithmetic exercises benefits the brain far more than previously thought. “The left hemisphere of the brain [is confined] for systematical things like mathematics, and the right hemisphere for creative thinking,” according to The Guardian’s article. If basic math problems excite both of these areas, the importance of knowing math is obvious. “Addition and subtraction did more for developing brains than listening to music or literature read aloud,” Kawashima continued.

“Using brain scans to identify at-risk youngsters who are suffering in arithmetic (instead of destined to struggle) and delivering interventions that alter their brain,” according to Stanford University research. Teacher training programs and schools may be capable of improving curricula and devising activities that provide access to higher-quality mathematics instruction through efforts like these.

Concluding Thoughts

With a natural propensity toward numeracy and research showing that mathematics stimulates our methodical and creative brain areas, there should be no distinction between who is a “math person” and who is not, eliminating such aversions to arithmetic. We all benefit from continual math learning at any level, and we should be looking at the long-term effects of more accessible math education on future generations.