Ecology of life. How to stop missing deadlines and procrastinating, learn to make important decisions and love yourself with the help of mathematics?
How to stop missing deadlines and procrastination, learn to make important decisions and love yourself with the help of mathematics? We learned the answer from the author of the recently published book “Think Like a Mathematician” and the popular Coursera course “Learning How to Learn,” Barbara Oakley, Ph.D., consulting engineer and brain stem cell researcher.
If you're good at math, it's much harder to fool you
I have been studying the peculiarities of human thinking for a long time. I'm currently working on a book, Mindshift: How Ordinary and Extraordinary People Have Transformed Their Lives Through Learning - And You Can Too. It focuses on amazing stories of people who have changed their lives and careers through new approaches to learning.
There are many ways to overcome your fear of science and science. Outstanding scientists and brilliant minds tend to learn effective learning techniques early because they begin training almost from infancy. In fact, these learning techniques can be mastered by anyone at any age. If I had not studied a foreign language before, I would not have thought that there were specially structured practical techniques.
When you go to the gym, you use machines to develop your muscles. You don't think you can get killer abs by sitting on the sidewalk every day. The same principle can be applied to mathematics. It helps you develop invisible thinking muscles that can help you in unexpected ways. For example, if I need to hire a store manager or develop an online course, I am more likely to give preference to a candidate with developed analytical thinking. The world is changing, and the ability to cope with technical and mathematical challenges is becoming increasingly important.
Knowledge of natural sciences warns people against “magical thinking”
Mathematics and other sciences can help you make important decisions that will affect your life; they will also help you cope with everyday difficulties. Knowledge of mathematics and science warns people against “magical thinking.” When it comes to salary, sometimes I feel like money will just appear out of thin air and I'll get everything I want without putting in any effort. But this doesn't happen. Money will also not magically appear in the state budget, although, of course, the state often makes us believe otherwise. A natural science background simply makes us smarter and allows us to observe things from a detached perspective. For example, we all know how important good ecology is, and we understand that we should fight to make the world clean and green. However, some green initiatives, such as e-cars, are actually bad for the environment. Simply put, people who have no knowledge of mathematics and science are much easier to fool because they do not know how to look at things with skepticism.
Mathematicians love to teach abstract mathematics, which seems detached from reality, but in fact helps to master skills that can be easily transferred to different professional fields. Studying mathematics in relation to one field, such as accounting, is ineffective because it limits the flexibility of your thinking and prevents you from applying new knowledge and skills in a different context. It's the same as refusing to learn a foreign language - then you artificially forever limit your thinking within the framework of one language. If you're afraid of equations and formulas and don't know how to apply your imagination to them, try thinking of them as poetry.
Equations are just a set of coded concepts; in them, as in poetry, there is a deep meaning. Einstein was able to describe the photon using imagination rather than mathematics.
It is known that he was not very strong in mathematics and often turned to other mathematicians for help to continue his research. But he had plenty of imagination: he imagined himself as a flying photon and thought about how another photon would perceive him. People's imaginations are much more developed than they think. If you don't think this is for you, then think about this: if you have the imagination to love and raise your child, then you will have the imagination to create a wonderful new world.
There are many books to help you understand mathematics. My favorites are Calculus Made Easy by Sylvanus Thompson and The World According to Wavelets: The Story of a Mathematical Technique in the Making by Barbara Burke. Hubbard and a three-volume edition of Richard Feynman's lectures on physics. All these works help to get acquainted with mathematics from different sides and explain how it relates to reality.
Your success has nothing to do with your level of genius
I decided to get an engineering degree only at 26 years old. This caused me a lot of hatred and caused me a lot of suffering in my first year; Only rare insights encouraged me. It took about a year and a half before I felt like I “could do this.” Before that, I studied Russian, received a scholarship from the service for non-military training of reserve officers and a bachelor's degree in Slavic languages and literature. I had a chance to become an expert in the signal corps, but I hated mathematics and was afraid of it.
If you too are afraid of math and science, you should know that your brain is constantly performing complex calculations, you just don't know it. Thanks to this, you can catch the ball and avoid road potholes in your car. We solve equations and make complex calculations unconsciously and have no idea that we already know the solution because we all have a knack for math and science. We think that mathematics is more complex than the humanities only because it is encoded in formulas and abstract concepts.
I believe there are thousands of “right” ways to educate children, so I don’t gravitate towards any particular school or system. We too often stress that children should approach learning with passion, when in fact learning itself should be something that makes them passionate. Education should cultivate creativity, curiosity and a desire for discovery in students. However, creativity must be supported by solid knowledge of a particular subject. If you don't have a large set of facts in your mind, you're unlikely to make a creative discovery. Although children attend the same school for many years, their achievements do not level out because people's achievements are highly dependent on their social environment and biological predisposition. But in reality, persistence means much more than intelligence. Many "average" people have gone much further than very gifted people.
Talented people also face many challenges: in childhood they are bullied by their classmates, they begin to suppress their abilities and look for problems where there really are none. Talented people are much more likely to fall into procrastination, because in their youth this approach was effective and, as adults, they simply cannot adapt. Students are constantly competing with their more gifted classmates and trying to catch up with them, as a result, they severely limit themselves in the time they can spend on mastering the material, and fall even further behind. You need to accept yourself and your characteristics. If you feel that you are at a dead end, it is better to ask competent people for advice. Before doing this, try to solve the problem yourself, then you will better accept the other person’s explanations. At university, I was angry with my teachers because I didn’t understand anything, although I only needed to take a few independent steps.
I'm sure stupid people exist! I know this for sure, because I myself have been stupid from time to time. Everyone is different: some students are introduced to useful study techniques and still choose not to use them. This doesn't mean they are stupid, but I feel sorry for them because they often deceive themselves about what they are really capable of. Nobel laureate Richard Feynman liked to talk about his IQ of 125 to prove that success is not just a matter of innate genius. He achieved success precisely through persistent study of physics and mathematics for many years.
Rebuilding your brain is not as difficult as it seems
We think in two different modes: focused and diffuse. There is a hypothesis that this is due to the fact that vertebrates had to solve two important tasks simultaneously: monitor the movement of enemies (dispersed mode) and search for food (focused mode). If each hemisphere is focused on a specific type of perception, the chances of survival increase.
In humans, the left hemisphere is associated with focused attention and specializes in logical thinking; the right is responsible for processing emotions, divided attention and social communication. It is impossible to gain a broad understanding of the world without the participation of the right hemisphere. Successful study of the arts and sciences requires alternating two types of thinking. All the insights known in the history of science, as if whispered by someone from above, are associated precisely with the inclusion of a scattered mode of thinking after a long period of concentrated work. The idea that some people are right-brain dominant and others are left-brain dominant is wrong. The brain is very complex. We deceive ourselves when we try to simplify its work. Michael Anderson's wonderful book After Phrenology explains very clearly why a modular approach to understanding brain function is problematic.
I can't believe that students spend nearly 16 years in college before getting a bachelor's degree and yet they don't have a single course on effective teaching. On the other hand, a course on effective teaching in a traditional educational system would look something like this: three weeks would be spent on the history of education, another three on various educational theories, and another three on a course of lectures on how young children learn. It may be only in the last one or two weeks that students will be able to gain some practical skills. Since most teachers are not familiar with neuroscience, they will not be able to teach you anything about such vital things as focused and distracted thinking modes or the pain centers of the brain that make us procrastinate. I think today's students are very lucky to have access to books like Think Like a Mathematician and courses like Learning How to Learn on Coursera. The information that is given there will be useful for any person who is learning something. It would be great if all these approaches were naturally integrated into school and university education. Fortunately, this is already starting to happen.
All insights, as if whispered by someone from above, are associated with the inclusion of a scattered mode of thinking after a long period of concentrated work
Changing university approaches to teaching is like moving a cemetery to another location. We cannot expect this from the dead themselves. I am confident that universities will only be able to change as a result of external pressure. This is why the disruption of mass online learning is so important. This also applies to my course “Learning How to Learn”, which partially duplicates the content of the book “Think Like a Mathematician”. This is the most popular course in the world, with over a million students signing up for it in the last year alone. And for good reason: it contains powerful, useful, and effective ideas that are scientifically proven. So now all changes depend on the people themselves.
Many students still do not know that taking notes in the margins is more effective than simply underlining in a textbook, and simply rereading cannot replace retrieving data from memory. Constantly re-reading notes or a textbook gives the illusion of competence, although if you close the book or notebook, you will realize that there is nothing left in your mind. Instead, test yourself regularly and mentally review the material you've learned.
It is important to clarify that children do not necessarily learn “wrong” in school. Another thing is that some teaching methods are more effective than others, and specialized courses help you become familiar with them. All people are different from each other, the main thing is to independently integrate these approaches into your own life. The first and most important step is to simply stop procrastinating to reduce your stress levels, improve your learning efficiency, and free up plenty of time for fun and relaxation. We procrastinate when we feel uncomfortable doing something. If you are afraid of mathematics, then the very thought of it is painful for you.
If you need to start doing math, the pain centers in your brain become active. It is important to clarify here that after you start exercising, the pain disappears. N
It is important to introduce changes gradually. If your main problem is procrastination, try the Pomodoro method: set a timer for 25 minutes and focus on your work. This will help you focus your attention for a short period of time. During this time, you cannot check social networks, talk on the phone or search for something on the Internet.
The secret is that 25 minutes is a short period of time, so you can console yourself with the fact that soon it will all be over and you can get some rest. It is useful to support this method with lists of key tasks for the day (5-10 items) and for the week (up to 20 items) in order to track your progress and not miss important things. Remember to “eat your frogs in the morning,” that is, do your most important and unpleasant work early in the day. Associated with learning mathematics and science is a concept called the “attitude effect.” It refers to moments when an initial idea or thought gets in the way of finding a better idea or solution.
Very often this initial impulse leads to the wrong result. When you struggle with a task for a long time, it is this barrier in your thinking that prevents you from finding the right solution. I myself regularly use the methods described in the book - for example, I constantly use the “Pomodoro principle”. Also, when I read non-fiction, I constantly look away and see what I can remember. I think these methods can also help in learning complex abstract concepts, such as philosophy. published
Very often, schoolchildren or students whose future profession is in no way connected with mathematics, the presence of exact science in the compulsory curriculum raises bewilderment and the question: “ Why is mathematics needed? ?”, “How will it be useful to me in life?” Most people do not see the point in studying this fundamental science, forgetting that mathematics ranks first among the natural sciences.
To determine the place of mathematics in our lives, it is necessary to understand what qualities help to develop even minimal knowledge of this subject and how they can be used in practice.
The role of mathematics in science
Mathematics is one of the fundamental sciences, the laws, formulas and methods of which are used in other disciplines - chemistry, physics, biology and even drawing. Despite the fact that the relationships and interconnections of mathematical entities are abstract concepts, when interacting with other sciences, specific descriptive, modeling and predictive processes begin to work, giving mathematics “flesh and blood”.
Mathematics is one of the tools for cognition and understanding of the world around us. This is an exact science in which order and logic are embodied - it is they that govern the world around us.
The language of nature can be translated into the language of mathematics, the language of numbers, this will help us understand the structure and connections of any phenomena, build models and predict their future states. It is enough to recall the contribution to science made by the formulas of Einstein’s theory of relativity, thanks to which we begin to understand our Universe, and the laws of which are experimentally confirmed by space research.
Mathematical laws allow us to model any actions, predict and calculate the results of any process using formulas.
Even medicine cannot do without mathematics: in addition to the design of medical devices, the effectiveness of any treatment is analyzed using mathematical laws.
Thanks to mathematics, we build buildings and complex structures, explore outer space, develop various technologies, use computers and mobile phones, and even develop our culture.
What does mathematics give to a person?
Why is mathematics needed? ? What does it give to a person, what abilities and skills does it develop?
First of all, this fundamental science develops our mental abilities - analysis, deduction, and the ability to predict. Mathematical knowledge improves abstract thinking, enhances its speed, teaches abstraction, concentration and trains memory.
If we specify what mathematics gives us, the result of getting to know it can be represented by the following list of skills:
- communication;
- analysis of complex situations, making optimal decisions, regardless of the complexity of the situation;
- searching and finding a pattern;
- development of logic, reasoning, generalization, competent formulation of thoughts and logical conclusions;
- speed of decision making;
- planning and keeping in mind a complex step-by-step sequence;
- logical construction of complex operations and storing them in memory.
The listed skills are acquired not only as a result of solving problems in various branches of mathematics (algebra, geometry, trigonometry, probability theory, statistics, etc.), but also in the process of using such mathematical and logical methods as puzzles, exact sciences or intellectual games, which load your brains and “force” you to look for non-standard solutions and analyze.
Why does a child need mathematics?
Mathematics is essential for children's development. In addition to the fact that it develops the child’s mind, it lays the foundation for rational thinking and intellectual development even at the stage of schooling.
Mathematics, forming logic, trains our mind, which allows us to compare different concepts, analyze them sensibly and comprehend them. A person with a “mess in the head” is more susceptible to delusions, both in thoughts and in reasoning. In other words, knowledge of mathematics will not allow you to be deceived, as millions of people who entrusted their deposits to financial pyramids were deceived.
Mathematics is not just formulas and calculations, it is the logic and order that follow from its rules and functions! Mathematical knowledge allows a person to reason correctly, formulate his thoughts, hold complex sequences in his head and build relationships between them.
Why do humanists need mathematics?
Many humanists believe that they do not need mathematics, forgetting that mathematical thinking will help in any profession not related to the exact sciences. You don’t need to go far, remember lawyers: they build their defense in court like chess players, coming up with cunning and extraordinary solutions, using the legislative framework and a logical procedure.
There is no point in specially studying an in-depth course in mathematics. To obtain the necessary basic knowledge, school and primary university education is sufficient, in which general education subjects are compulsory for everyone, both for technicians and for humanists. Studying multidirectional subjects harmoniously complements a person’s knowledge, which will be useful not only in a future profession, but also in everyday life.
Why do you need mathematics in everyday life and work?
No matter how hated mathematics may be in school, you cannot do without it in everyday life. Without basic mathematical knowledge and calculations, it is impossible to calculate a budget, pay taxes, fill out a payment receipt, or determine the interest on a deposit or loan. Without mathematics, it is impossible to choose a mobile operator or provider, because in order to determine the most favorable conditions, you need to analyze the data and determine the benefits. Similar examples can be given endlessly. In other words, mathematical knowledge is used in all areas of everyday life.
Despite the fact that your future profession does not involve any connection with mathematical formulas and calculations, no one knows what you will do in the future. For example, go become an entrepreneur and open your own business. Such a job change will require you to master new skills in organizing and running a business, including accounting, and without mathematical methods of forecasting, modeling, analysis and calculations there is no way to achieve success.
Why is mathematics needed? ? Mathematics, like other exact sciences, are important not only for human development, but also for his intellectual improvement. At the same time, we should not forget that the “queen of sciences” is closely connected with the humanities, for example, literature. When reading books, we reason, build logical chains, find connections and analyze what we read. The relationship between the exact sciences and the humanities harmoniously develops our mind, giving us universality, making us interesting to others and making our lives easier with a variety of knowledge and skills. It is not for nothing that all the great scientists recognized that without mathematics there is nowhere - not a single discovery, not a single invention, not a single enterprise, not a single state works without it. Mathematics is the basis of everything!
There is a point of view in society according to which all people in matters of intellectual knowledge have a tendency either to the mathematical pole or to the humanitarian pole. A child goes to school, gets A's in literature, but doesn't do well in math. “It’s okay,” the parents say, “he’s a humanitarian.” The opposite situation often occurs.
But how fair is this? Is mathematics objectively more difficult to master than the humanities? Are human abilities genetically determined or the result of upbringing?
During the study Mathematicians turned out to be smarter than humanists It turned out that if a student passes exams well in exact disciplines, in most cases he also copes well with humanities. And students in liberal arts schools fail not only in mathematics, but also in languages.
Does this mean that mathematical disciplines are more difficult? No.
If a person passes all exams well, this speaks of his responsibility, not his abilities. Many people can easily operate with abstract concepts and learn languages, but they find mathematics very difficult. In addition, other studies show that there is no connection between mastering mathematical and humanities disciplines at the level of brain activity. These are completely different cognitive abilities.
Physiological basis of intellectual abilities
As part of the study Origins of the brain networks for advanced mathematics in expert mathematicians Scientists recorded the brain activity of mathematicians and other people while performing various tasks. As a result, they came to the following conclusion.
When performing mathematical operations, a person activates special areas of the brain that are not associated with language abilities.
It turns out that the difference between mathematical and humanitarian knowledge lies at the physiological level. There are zones responsible for mathematical thinking, and others for linguistic thinking. It cannot be said that any of them is more perfect.
Nature and nurture
In the study mentioned above, scientists also concluded that children's ability to perform simple algebraic operations is the key to further mathematical success. Indeed, at an early age, even before any upbringing, parts of a person’s brain develop differently. Some people's mathematical areas are better developed, while others have them worse.
Since the same neural network is involved in both elementary and more complex tasks, it is possible to predict a child’s future talent even before it manifests itself. The kid quickly understood why 1 + 1 = 2? Then in the future it will be relatively easy for him to learn sines and cosines.
The same can be said about humanists. The speed at which a child masters a language and the ability to grasp the basic laws of grammar make it possible to assess how good he will be in comprehending the humanities, since early success in this area indicates the potential of the corresponding area of the brain.
It can be assumed that physiological characteristics predetermine our cognitive abilities. However, this is not the case and here's why:
- Many other factors influencing the manifestation of talent are not taken into account. For example, a person may have the makings of a mathematician at the physiological level, but at the same time there is absolutely no interest in this discipline, which is why his natural talent will not develop.
- What we talk about as a physiological tendency may actually be the result of the early educational activities of parents.
As Swiss psychologist and philosopher Jean Piaget notes: Cognition, the development of both language and mathematical cognitive abilities occurs during the preoperational period (2–7 years). It is then that the child’s physiological predisposition to certain activities may appear.
This period in brain development is the most important, since the creation of neural connections occurs according to the principle of the frequency of their use. About the features of brain development from conception to adolescence. That is, after 2–3 years, those zones that are most often involved begin to actively develop.
At this stage, brain development directly depends on human activity and the repetition of certain practices.
The study of twins also sheds light on the formation of human abilities. Their set of genes is approximately the same, and therefore differences in intellectual abilities are most likely due to external factors.
Such studies conducted by Russian scientists in the 90s Where do smart kids come from?, showed that from the age of two, the intelligence of twins actually becomes similar under relatively identical external conditions.
Scientists from the University of California at Santa Barbara came to approximately the same conclusion. The high heritability of educational achievement reflects many genetically influenced traits, not just intelligence. The external environment matters and plays the role of conditions for the implementation of the biological basis.
conclusions
Whether a person becomes a humanist or a mathematician depends on the biological factor and heredity that predetermine the development of his brain. However, the manifestation of this factor is strongly influenced by activity in childhood. We are talking about the period when a person has not yet directly begun to study the disciplines themselves, but in the process of playing and communicating with parents he somehow uses different areas of the brain, stimulating their development.
In practice, this means the following: parents should not force their child to do activities for which he has no particular attraction and in which he is not very successful. We must try to find talent and promote its development.
There are often conversations in society about why a person needs to study mathematics. Indeed, many people, having received an education, often work in a specialty that is not related to complex calculations. At first glance, mathematics has nothing to do with their lives. However, in the vast majority of countries in the world, for some reason this science is invariably included in the curriculum of schools and universities. Why is this discipline given such great importance?
We study mathematics - we study
This science is based on the natural laws of the surrounding reality. It excludes free interpretations and lengthy reasoning. Its core is order and clear logic. In fact, all processes operating in nature are built on the same principles. Mathematics reflects them like a mirror, while at the same time being a tool for their knowledge.
There are cases when great discoveries literally came off a sheet of paper. Thanks to mathematical calculations, even before the active exploration of space by man, scientists were able to create a fairly accurate picture and describe the processes that operate in it. And the main weapon in their hands became ordinary mathematical formulas.
But what is mathematics for the common man?
Of course, the importance of the science of numbers in the life of society is difficult to overestimate. Without it, technical progress and the development of civilization are impossible. But why does an ordinary person need this item?
The great Russian scientist and thinker M.V. Lomonosov emphasized the importance of mathematics for the formation of personality and called for studying it because “... it puts the mind in order.” You can't say it more precisely! Indeed, this science has a serious impact on the development of intelligence.
It improves analytical, critical, deductive, predictive abilities. Trains the brain to store and process large amounts of information. Its influence on a person’s intellectual potential is expressed in the development of the following personal qualities and skills:
Ability to analyze complex life situations, make informed decisions in the face of difficult choices;
the ability to generalize and the skill of considering a particular event as an integral element of a general order;
ability to find patterns;
the ability to reason and think logically, accurately formulate thoughts and draw logical conclusions.
You can improve your math skills at any age. However, such arithmetic exercises are of particular importance for children. Perhaps there is no other similar subject that has such a strong influence on the development of a child’s intellectual abilities! Working with numbers will help you start thinking rationally from a young age and develop mental acuity.
Organization and orderliness
The qualities developed by mathematical methods form the framework of human thinking. This leads to the organization of all thoughts into a single system of interconnected concepts about the world around us. Representing the embodiment of natural order, mathematics also eliminates chaos in the human head.
It is no longer possible to mislead such a person. She has no confusion in reasoning and uncertainty in behavior. She is not subject to the influence of various kinds of schemers and will not allow herself to be drawn into a dubious operation or financial pyramid. The logical organization of the mind allows a person to build his own life, career and material well-being.
Do humanists need mathematics?
Certainly! It will certainly help on the path to mastering the humanities. Because there, too, the skills of systems thinking, logic, and the ability to formulate large-scale theories will be required.
There are many excellent lawyers who, in addition to specialized education, also received physics and mathematics. This taught them to come up with non-trivial solutions, build complex lines of defense in court, and carry out systematic work with the legislative framework.
The benefits of math skills in business
Today, many people decide to open their own business. Someone is not satisfied with his current job, and he seeks to change it for something more interesting. Someone immediately decides to find an independent source of income, counting on gaining personal independence and receiving large incomes.
In any case, organizing an individual enterprise will require skills in analysis, forecasting and ongoing calculations. A businessman must master them, since not all powers can be delegated to hired personnel. And even if you assemble a large staff, you will still need the ability to structurally organize their work.
It is impossible to do without mathematical methods of analysis, modeling and forecasting. Without them, it is impossible to achieve success, even when running a small business, not to mention creating a large, reputable company. And the point here is not so much in knowledge of special calculation methods (you can always master them if you wish), but in a certain organization of thinking.
Own business is a strictly ordered system, the construction of which presupposes that its creator has structured thinking skills, the ability to generalize and find relationships. Studying the exact sciences develops all these skills. Even statistics show that the greatest success, as a rule, is achieved by business graduates of mathematical and technical universities.
Mathematical thinking
Among psychologists, the concept of a mathematical mindset is often used as one of the ways to organize human mental activity. Yes, there are people for whom comprehension of arithmetic laws is given with incredible ease. However, this does not mean that the lot of everyone else is to realize their capabilities exclusively in the humanitarian sphere.
Don’t think that you are not naturally gifted with mastering mathematical formulas and solving calculation problems. The human mind is universal. It contains the potential for any intellectual activity. There is no such thing as a complete lack of ability for mathematics. It just takes a little more effort to manifest it than it takes some mathematical genius.
Of course, it cannot be denied that every person has certain innate inclinations in mastering the sciences. In addition, professional specialization requires a large amount of knowledge in some narrow area. For example, it will be difficult to combine a good chemist, physicist, lawyer, historian and literary critic in one person. This is available only to a few.
However, absolutely anyone can master the basic mathematical skills! And this will not interfere in life. On the contrary, new abilities will give a strong impetus to personal development and will serve as the key to achieving success in any area of activity.
Can you clearly explain to your child why he needs to study mathematics? After all, studying concepts, laws of mathematics and logic, solving mathematical and logical problems requires mental effort. Why is this needed at all?
We examined a number of scientific studies and identified real evidence of the benefits of doing mathematics.
Even if you are convinced that your child’s life will not be connected with mathematics, we recommend that you still read our article in order to at least easily answer the questions of the little “why”.
1. Mathematics develops thinking
By studying mathematics and solving problems, the child learns:
- summarize and highlight the important;
- analyze and systematize;
- find patterns and establish cause-and-effect relationships;
- reason and draw conclusions;
- think logically, strategically and abstractly.
Just as regular sports training “pumps up” the body, making it healthy, strong and resilient, so regular math classes “pumps up” the brain - develops intelligence and cognitive abilities, broadens one’s horizons.
2. Mathematics exercises your memory
Scientists from Stanford University in the USA studied the process of solving mathematical problems by humans and found that adults use thinking and the skill of “retrieving” from memory the answers that are already there, brought to automaticity, for these purposes.
Children under 7 years old often resort to using their fingers and toes, as well as various substitutes (real objects, counting sticks). During the “transition period,” between the ages of 7 and 9, schoolchildren develop “adult” skills of “thinking,” comprehending and remembering information.
An interesting study was published in the journal Nature Neuroscience in 2014. First of all, it was devoted to studying the role of the hippocampus (a region in the brain) in the development of cognitive activity in children. But his indirect conclusions are:
- if you want your child to have no problems with mathematics at school, train your memory at an early age;
- solving mathematical problems develops memory.
3. Mathematics builds character
To correctly solve mathematical and logical problems, you need attentiveness, perseverance, responsibility, accuracy and precision.
The more regularly a child trains these “character muscles,” the stronger they become, the more often they help the child in solving not only educational problems, but also life problems.
LogicLike is a suitable platform for training for 20-60 minutes a day. Solve problems, take part in competitions in logic and mathematics, develop the will to win and the ability to win!
We create both simple and olympiad problems that you want to solve:
- assignments for 1st grade;
- assignments for grade 2;
- assignments for 3rd grade.
4. Music for mathematics, mathematics for music
A comprehensive study conducted by Barbara H. Helmrich of Notre Dame College in Baltimore found that children who played musical instruments in middle school performed significantly better in math in high school.
Scientists have discovered that the same part of the brain is responsible for solving algebraic problems and processing musical information.
“The largest mean difference in algebra scores between any two groups of subjects was found between the African American instrumental groups and the nonmusical groups.”
Paradoxically, the scientists seemed uninterested in the feedback.
After all, if the same part of the brain is responsible for the development of mathematical and musical abilities, it is possible that practicing mathematics improves musical abilities.
I remember Sherlock Holmes, who was both an excellent detective and a talented violinist. Many will say that the famous English detective is just a fiction, but he had his own real prototype, mentor and friend of Arthur Conan Doyle. The greatest physicist Albert Einstein was also a passionate violinist.
5. Math helps you excel in the humanities
It is early mathematical abilities that are a sure prerequisite for the fact that in the future the child will not only understand mathematics well, but also succeed in other school disciplines. The next most important contribution to academic success is reading skills and the ability to manage one's attention.
These are the conclusions reached by scientists in the field of education and social policy at Northwestern University in Evanston. In the study, they assessed the relationship of key elements of school readiness (basic skills for school admission - “academic” readiness, attention, social-emotional skills) with later academic success.
Mathematics is an interdisciplinary science; it is closely related to physics, geography, geology, and chemistry. Sociology and economics are inseparable from mathematics, and many conclusions even from the usual humanities, such as linguistics and journalism, are based on mathematical models and concepts, mathematical and logical laws.
6. Develops skills in solving everyday problems
Barbara Oakley, PhD, brain stem cell researcher and author of Think Like a Mathematician, emphasizes:
“Mathematics saves us from “magical thinking” - we strive to understand the essence of things and do not rely on chance and higher powers.”
The more complex math problems become, the more skill is required to solve them. The child learns to reason, build sequences, think through algorithms, juggle several concepts at once, and these skills become a habit.
Thanks to mathematics, we get rid of bad habits:
- we do not speculate, but operate only in precise terms;
- We don’t just mechanically memorize information and rules, but evaluate it, analyze it, reflect on it in order to understand and learn new material, a new life lesson.
7. Mathematics is the basis for a successful career
If 10-15 years ago learning foreign languages was considered promising, now fluency in several languages will not surprise anyone. Now professional demand largely depends on an understanding of technology, the ability to think, abstract, and the ability to solve non-standard problems. It is extremely difficult for those who want to work in the IT field to do without knowledge of mathematics.
Abstract, critical and strategic thinking, analytical skills, and the ability to build algorithms are a must-have for a good developer.
TOP 5 soft skills.
