"Your brain is a thinking organ that learns and grows by interacting with the world through perception and action," according to the Franklin Institute. Aging impacts the brain through an enlargement of ventricle spaces, a widening of the brain grooves, and a reduction in the volume and weight of the organ; yet studies such as the Seattle Longitudinal Study show that brain acuity doesn't begin to decline until the early 70s. Using exercises that involve mathematical skill keeps the brain active.
Puzzles
Better Brains for Babies, a non-profit education collaborative, notes that synapse formation is critical to brain development. Synapses are "the microscopic gaps between the axon of one neuron and the dendrite of another." Synapse development is rapid but slows as the body enters adulthood. New synapse development requires new experiences in organization and problem-solving. Unused brain areas may atrophy if not exercised. Puzzles help the brain tstay stimulated. Better Brains for Babies suggests working crossword puzzles to keep the brain healthy and active.
Professor John Hopfield of Princeton University notes that Sudoku-type problems allow the brain to use a number of complex associative behaviors. Similar math puzzles that feature mathematical skills include nonomino, Kakuro and KenKen.
Critical Thinking Exercises
Certain math skills can enhance synapses in the appropriate part of the brain. Rote learning, such as memorizing multiplication tables, enhances verbal skills but does little for mathematical abilities, according to studies reported by neuroscientists Uta Frith and Sarah-Jayne Blakemore in their 2005 book, "The Learning Brain." Critical thinking exercises, such as riddles, cryptograms, logic exercises and casual reading that incorporates critical thinking, expand both mathematical and brain functions. These activities transfer knowledge and incorporate practice of spatial organization patterns, according to PBS Parents.
Ohio's Early Learning Content Standards recommend integration of mathematical critical thinking exercises with practical applications that link math with hands-on technological activities, such as using computers and calculators. These activities exercise the brain through the use of transfer and spatial skills.
Math Problems
When independent brain areas involved in math processing receive stimulation, other parts of the brain responsible for music, reading and personal relationships also "morph and grow," according to research reported by Edutopia, an education website. Math problems and brain teasers allow the mind to explore possible solutions from small clues.
Toys and manipulatives that use patterns, such as cubes with color or number squares, also exercise the brain by exploring solutions using principles of mathematical groupings. Completing these math problems includes "discovering short sequences of moves that accomplish limited goals," according to scientists Igor Kritz, mathematics professor at the University of Michigan, and Paul Siegel, a mathematics graduate student at the university. Toys that incorporate math grouping problems include Rubik's Cube, Number Planet and Topsy Turvy.
References
- The Franklin Institute: Brain Training Games
- Neuroscience for Kids: Aging Brain
- CBS News: Help Your Brain Get Better with Time
- "Scientific American"; Rubik's Cube Inspired Puzzles Demonstrate Math's "Simple Groups"; Igor Kriz and Paul Siegel; July 2008
- Better Brains for Babies: Brain Development: Adulthood
