Six-Month-Old Infants Can Understand Mathby Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger 22 Dec 2008 10:41 AM
The issue of whether or not humans are born with the ability to understand mathematical concepts or whether they learn them later has been debated for many years. The most common thinking previously had been that this kind of understanding did not develop in a young child until at least the age of two-and-a-half. In other words, there were actual anatomical changes that occurred in the brain to allow for mathematical concepts to be understood. The research was conducted by showing puppets shows to six-month-old baby. During the show, concepts in addition and subtraction were shown, along with some that contained errors. The researchers both monitored the babies' reactions and their brain activity. This led them to determine that these babies understand more about math than we might think. Past studies by other researchers seem to reinforce this notion, although until this current study, it was not known the extent of a young baby's ability. It seems that as humans we are hard wired for math. How does this affect you and your baby? While I am not suggesting that you go out and by division flash cards, you can incorporate mathematical concepts into your play with your baby, such as singing counting songs, adding and taking away blocks, counting the number of steps when you walk upstairs and more. As with any matter of development, your child will learn a lot about the world from you and the interaction you have with him or her. What do you think of this story? Please leave a comment below. Click here for more articles by Mary Ann Romans. Helping Your Baby Manage the Fear of New Things Helping Your Baby Manage the Fear of New Things 2 Warning about Carter Baby Clothing
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