You Don't Have to be Gifted to be Good at Math

Similarly, why do some people say that math is “not their thing” if they fail when they first learn how to solve math problems? 

It takes a lot of patience and effort for anyone to become fluent in mathematics. Just like knowing letters is not enough to be a fluent and competent reader, knowing numbers and basic operations and steps is not enough to be able to solve any math problem. Additionally, the earlier that a new subject, language, or skill is introduced, the easier it will be for young learners to adapt to that new subject.

Every musician, doctor, sports champion, or successful entrepreneur knows the 10,000 hour rule. Popularized by Malcom Gladwell’s book Outliers, this is the notion that if you put in 10,000 hours of effort, you can become an expert. In the years since this idea was first introduced, it has been debated, but the core of the idea remains true: putting in effort toward something will allow you to get better at it. It is not simply "giftedness" or an innate skill that makes someone talented, but rather the effort and practice that they put in. 

Mathematics is an important skill for anyone to understand the world around them. A solid math foundation can be beneficial for specific careers, but also for budgeting, adjusting a recipe when cooking or baking, and more. Just like learning a new subject, math has its own language and learning to speak and understand it takes effort and time. Once that effort is realized,  children will reap the benefits of significantly wider cultural horizons and it can open doors that would otherwise remain closed for them. 

Geniuses are extremely rare. They are no rarer in mathematics than in any other walk of life. Giftedness – whatever we mean by this – is ultimately responsible for only 1% of success, with effort and perseverance being responsible for the remaining 99%.

This blog was previously published in 2016 and has since been updated.