Why is math harder for some kids? Brain scans offer clues

What’s Happening

So basically Kids with math learning disabilities process number symbols differently than quantities shown as dots — and it shows up in MRIs.

Neuroscience Why is math harder for some kids? Brain scans offer clues MRIs show different brain activity patterns for kids with math learning disabilities When kids with math learning disabilities solve a math problem with number symbols, they approach and process it differently than typical kids. (shocking, we know)

But differences disappear when numbers are shown as dots.

The Details

Matt Chinworth By Lily Burton at 11:00 am this: via email (Opens in new window) Email on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit on X (Opens in new window) X Print (Opens in new window) Print Some kids struggle with math. Now, scientists have pinpointed some of the specific thinking processes and brain regions that might explain why math is a little harder for some than others.

When given simple math problems, kids with math learning disabilities in a new study were less cautious about giving their answers and did not slow down after making errors compared with kids with typical math skills. But these differences disappeared when those same kids were given problems with dots to represent numbers instead of Arabic number symbols, researchers report February 9 in the Journal of Neuroscience .

Why This Matters

For our We summarize the week’s scientific breakthroughs every Thursday. The idea that number symbols can be a challenge is not new. “Theres a consistent observation that its the symbolic processing that is fr the struggle for children with difficulties,” says Bert De Smedt, an educational neuroscientist at KU Leuven in Belgium who was not involved in the study.

The scientific community tends to find developments like this significant.

The Bottom Line

“Theres a consistent observation that its the symbolic processing that is fr the struggle for children with difficulties,” says Bert De Smedt, an educational neuroscientist at KU Leuven in Belgium who was not involved in the study. But the subtle differences in how kids with math learning disabilities approach problems, like not answering cautiously and not slowing down after errors, advance understanding of what underlies their difficulties with number symbols , he says.

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