Brains of boys and girls have equal math abilities

A Carnegie Mellon University study seems have put the "nature vs. nurture" question to rest regarding gender differences in math ability.

The research team comprehensively examined the brain development of young boys and girls and found not gender difference in brain function or math abilities. The results were published in the November 8, 2019 journal Science of Learning.

So, how has the stereotype of "boys are just better at math" developed? The lead research, Jessica Cantlon, has some theories, most of which indicate that society and culture likely are steering girls and young women away from math and STEM fields.

1. Previous studies show that families spend more time with young boys in play that involves spatial cognition.

2. Many teachers also preferentially spend more time with boys during math class, predicting latter math achievement.

3. Children often pick up on cues from their parents’ expectations for math abilities.

Here’s a summary the study: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191108074852.htm

If your student (male or female) is struggling with math, LearningRx’s MathRx program may help. To target and train the weak underlying skills that cause dysgraphia (a fancy term for "trouble with numbers"), MathRx addresses the core cognitive components of efficient math performance, including:

• Comprehension

• Reasoning

• Attention

• Memory

Although tutoring can help in some cases, it doesn’t work to improve the skills your child or teen uses and needs in order to excel in math, but rather reteaches concepts. If you’d like to find out more about personal brain training for cognitive skills weaknesses, start by taking LearningRx’s Brain Skills Test online: https://lsds.learningrx.com/