Maths and creativity don’t have to be opposites—they might just be the perfect pair for better learning outcomes.

Could Creative Thinking Boost Literacy and Numeracy?

When ‘Elephant’ toothpaste erupts in the science lab, history lessons involve Pokémon playing cards, and maths students bake chocolate brownies, it might look like chaos—but could it actually be a recipe for success?

A small but intriguing study from the University of South Australia suggests that creativity plays a key role in academic achievement, with students who think outside the box performing better in NAPLAN literacy and numeracy tests. While more research is needed, the findings indicate that fostering creativity could help children develop stronger maths and literacy skills.

Why Creativity and Maths Belong Together

The study of 637 Australian students found that those who performed well in NAPLAN also demonstrated high levels of creativity. In fact, creativity was a stronger predictor of academic success than traditional factors like GPA or personality traits.

• Flexible, divergent thinking (generating a variety of ideas) was linked to better literacy outcomes.
• Mathematical creativity (finding novel solutions and alternative problem-solving approaches) was linked to higher numeracy scores.

These findings challenge the idea that structured learning and creativity are at odds. Instead, they suggest that integrating creative activities—such as open-ended problem-solving and hands-on projects—into maths and literacy lessons could be an effective way to boost student achievement.

What This Means for Parents and Teachers

UniSA researcher Professor David Cropley believes this is good news for educators who use creative approaches to engage students. While rote learning has its place, he suggests that encouraging curiosity and flexible thinking in classrooms may be key to improving literacy and numeracy skills.

With creativity now being assessed in global education benchmarks like the OECD’s PISA test, there’s growing recognition that schools should embrace creative skill development alongside traditional learning. Maths and creativity don’t have to be opposites—they might just be the perfect pair for better learning outcomes.

📚 Stay curious!

If you’re interested in learning more about how creativity impacts learning, check out the latest research or speak to your child’s teacher about creative learning strategies.

For Parents:

💡 Try it at home! Encourage creative problem-solving by asking open-ended maths questions like, “How many different ways can you make the number eight?” or using storytelling to make literacy exercises more engaging.

For Educators:

🎓 Bring creativity into the classroom! Experiment with hands-on activities like role-playing in literacy lessons or letting students design their own maths problems to solve in multiple ways.