New insight into how children learn maths (BBC)
By Helen Briggs
BBC News
Teaching maths using abstract gestures is a good way to help children learn, research suggests.
Eight-year-olds gained a deeper understanding of mathematical principles by using their hands as well as their brains, say US psychologists.
Children were taught to solve formulae such as: "4 + 2 + 6 = _ + 6" by making a V-point beneath the numbers to be added, then pointing at the blank.
The actions helped in generalisation, a report in Psychological Science says.
Previous studies have shown that gesture helps learning.
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more: http://www.bbc.com/news/health-26643823
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