Researchers from the Stanford University School of Medicine found that a single year of math lessons is associated with big changes in the brain approach to problem solving and that these effects can be seen in the brain scans of second- and third-graders. And probably earlier.
Those findings were part of the work of Vinod Menon, PhD, professor of psychiatry and neurology and senior author of the study, whose purpose was to determine how children develop problem-solving abilities and find better methods of teaching students who are struggling in math. "The surprise is that you would see significant changes within one year. In spite of many individual differences, a year of schooling does have, on average, a major impact on brain function and skill,” said professor Menon.
The researchers wanted to know how brain activity patterns change as children acquire more math proficiency and deeper knowledge. The results were surprising because the study tracked changes over a one-year interval between second and third grades, rather than examining developmental changes between children and adolescents or adults. In spite of many individual differences, a year of schooling seems to have a major impact on brain function and skill.
Picture: Kids learning math in a primary school classroom (ChildUp & DALL-E - 2023)
