Mathematics Practice Makes you Perfect – Does it really apply?

Mathematics Practice Makes you Perfect - Does it really apply?

“Practice makes perfect” is a famous quote which was primarily used in the athletic world. Sportsmen were constantly reminded that the more they practice, the better they will get at their game. However, the same quote has transcended into many other aspects of life. Whether you are a craftsman, a manual worker, a clerk, a manager or the chief executive officer of a company, practice always helps in improving your talent and skills for the job. When it comes to education, students are also reminded of this quote many times throughout their student life. Also, there is one particular subject where teachers claim “mathematics practice can make you perfect at it”.

Problem Solving Requires Thorough Practice

One of the best ways to deal with mathematics problems is the thorough practice of problem-solving. In the mathematics school syllabus, each and every chapter is much emphasized. For example, if students are being taught about problems regarding simple interest calculations, a number of worked examples will be provided. This helps to enhance understanding of a particular topic. However, a greater number of questions will be given for students to solve on their own. This is where practice comes into play. This practice will act both as a checkpoint for the students and as a way to make them better at such problem-solving tasks.

Studies Support This Claim

A study was carried out at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim by Professor Hermundur Sigmundsson and two other professors. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of mathematics practice on students. 70 Norwegian students from the fifth grade were selected and their mathematics skills were tested. The outcome of this experiment was as expected. It was determined that students are not born with mathematics skills. Instead, they need to practice every type of mathematics subject in order to excel at all of them. For this particular study, nine kinds of mathematics tasks were used in the test ranging from simple additional and subtraction to more complex multiplication and derivations from the calendar and the clock.

Reading Mathematics Notes Will Not Get You Good Grades

Another point that proves practice makes perfect is highly applicable in mathematics is the fact that reading notes is never just enough. Unlike literature and languages, merely reading or reciting the teacher’s notes will never get you good grades. Mathematics requires hands-on practice. In other words, you need to get your hands dirty if you want to succeed at this subject. If reading was enough, it would prove that practice is not really as highly required as it is claimed to be. However, this could not be any further from the truth. Anyone who has ever tried taking a mathematics test by simply reading the notes can confirm that this strategy does not work and it never will.

Conclusion: Practice Indeed Makes Perfect in Mathematics!

It is a universal fact that whatever you do, you will get better at it with more practice. The same applies to mathematics. So, grab your pen and paper and get started! Mental reading is not going to get you anywhere in mathematics, only hands-on practice will!

Featured Image: Class21a