Heterogeneity of math difficulties and its implications for interventions in multiplication skills.

Mariuche Rodrigues De Almeida Gomides,Annelise Júlio-Costa,Antônio Jaeger,Vitor Geraldi Haase,Gizele Alves Martins,Isabela Starling Alves

doi:10.1590/1980-57642018dn12-030006

Mariuche Rodrigues De Almeida Gomides, Annelise Júlio-Costa + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/1980-57642018dn12-030006

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Abstract

Math learning disability (MLD) is a heterogeneous condition characterized by severe and persistent difficulties in learning math, including difficulties in learning multiplication facts.Objective:In this article, we compared the responses of two MLD children to multiplication facts training.Methods:One of the children was a 9 year-old girl (HV) who presented mild math difficulties associated with lower accuracy of the Approximate Number System (ANS). The other was an 11 year-old boy (GA) who presented severe math difficulties related to impaired phonological processing due to developmental dyslexia. Both children underwent an intervention for multiplication, comprising conceptual instructions and retrieval practice of the times table.Results:HV’s accuracy and response speed improved consistently on both training tasks, while GA’s accuracy improved on the Simple Calculation Task only. Error analyses indicated that, after training, HV produced fewer errors of the type “close miss”, and GA produced less omission but more operand errors.Conclusion:We argue that these differences between their responses to the training tasks were caused by differences in the mechanisms underlying their math difficulties. These results support the notion that individual specificities regarding math disabilities should be taken into account during preparation of training interventions.

Highlights

Math learning disability (MLD) is a heterogeneous condition characterized by severe and persistent difficulties in learning math, including difficulties in learning multiplication facts
This notion is supported by prior studies showing that in typical populations,multiplication performance is highly associated with phonological awareness,[14,15] and by previous investigations showing that individuals with deficits in phonological processing, as in Development Dyslexia, exhibit difficulties in the retrieval of arithmetic facts.[15,16]
We aimed to evaluate whether qualitative error analysis in multiplication can be used as an outcome measure of the intervention, in parallel with accuracy and reaction times (RT).[30,31]

Summary

Introduction

Math learning disability (MLD) is a heterogeneous condition characterized by severe and persistent difficulties in learning math, including difficulties in learning multiplication facts. Nonsymbolic processes are important during initial learning of arithmetic facts, since manipulation of quantities is needed for calculation performance.[2,10] As children grow older, arithmetic facts become permanently stored as a phonological code in memory, and a verbal route to retrieve them is adopted. Symbolic representations become very important, while the reliance on nonsymbolic representations is diminished.[9] because arithmetic facts become stored as a phonological code in long-term memory, deficits in symbolic representations can hamper their retrieval.[11,12,13] This notion is supported by prior studies showing that in typical populations ,multiplication performance is highly associated with phonological awareness,[14,15] and by previous investigations showing that individuals with deficits in phonological processing, as in Development Dyslexia, exhibit difficulties in the retrieval of arithmetic facts.[15,16]

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