The importance of learning math facts

Students with higher and lower math scores use different parts of the brain when doing simple calculations, according to a new study in The Journal of Neuroscience. High achievers use an area of the brain associated with arithmetic fact retrieval, whereas students with lower scores use an area associated with quantity-processing mechanisms. The suggestion is that the ability to recall math facts (rather than do the sum from scratch) helps the students to go onto more complex mathematics.

The researchers used an fMRI scanner to examine the brains of 33 students (aged 17-18) as they performed simple, single-digit arithmetic. There was a clear association between particular areas of the brain and the students' scores in the PSAT math test (taken at age 15-16). The results suggest a correlation between arithmetic fact retrieval and higher scores, but more research is needed to see whether there is also a causational link - for example, whether interventions where lower-scoring students learn math facts lead to changes in brain activity and/or higher math scores.  

Johns Hopkins University

School of Education

Center for Research and Reform in Education

Research in Brief