It’s not uncommon to see a young child using their fingers to count to ten, or multiply two numbers together. But you’re far less likely to see a student a few years older using their fingers to solve simple mathematic problems. Why? Because young developing brains use different strategies to learn and remember certain mathematical concepts.
Two girls use their hand to count out sums. Image via theguardian.com
New research shows that this jump from physical to mental strategies has much to do with the hippocampus – the part of the brain associated with memory.
The study looked at the methods used by younger children aged 7–9 and those used by older students aged 14–17. Sure enough, the younger students relied very much on “finger counting” to work out simple arithmetic problems, while older students were able to mentally complete tasks without needing to confirm the answer using their hands. This shows that as children age, they increasingly rely upon memorized information and strategies to solve problems.
Using an fMRI scan, the team behind the study were able to see an increased activity of the hippocampus in the older students. However, the interaction with the hippocampus was only one part of the teams findings.
Also important to the way children learned and memorized information was the connection between the hippocampus and the neocortex – with the neocortex being involved in long-term memory. Children who showed stronger connections between their hippocampus and neocortex were more likely to be able to use mental deductions to solve problems than others who did not show such connections.
To read more about the study and some surprising results, click here to read the full article. This study was first covered on nature.com
