Chapter 10 - How Culturally Predominant Reading Direction and Number Word Construction Influence Numerical Cognition and Mathematics Performance

Abstract

Abstract Linguistic and cultural factors influence even basic Arabic number processing in children and adults. In this chapter, I will review recent literature and provide an overview of our recent work on how one cultural factor (reading direction) and one linguistic factor (number word construction) influence numerical processing (counting, number generation, number comparison, and arithmetic). However, evidence that reading direction and number word construction shape numerical processing does not necessarily mean that these factors influence individual differences in mathematical performance and development. In this chapter, I will review data showing that the extent to which children and adults are influenced by their culturally predominant reading direction does not seem to be related to their overall concurrent mathematical performance. In contrast, results from our and other longitudinal studies suggest that number word construction and the ability to transcode spoken number words into Arabic digits are significant predictors of growth in mathematical performance in the first years of primary school.