Agree. I think getting really good at addition subtraction and multiplication and then division/fractions is the way to go though. Have really strong math fundamentals and then learn algebra and then everything else is far easier to pick up.

Fair point. My first introduction to stats was at second year in uni though, far too late. By that time I had already done a lot of calculus, which while important, hasn’t exactly been critical in my daily life.

Arithmetics is absolutely the most important topic to learn, since it is the basis for all other quantitative reasoning.

For example, it is really important to understand that 1 / 3 chance is the same thing as 3 / 9 chance. It is obvious to you now since you have done so much arithmetic's, but to someone who never properly learned it they wouldn't be able to properly compare those two and could think that one is a very different number than the other. Without basic understanding about quantities all other quantitative skills become worthless.

Statistics is the only reason I was able to get over my math struggles in college.