Abstract
This study aimed to investigate how visual–spatial ability predicted academic achievement through arithmetic and reading abilities. Four hundred and ninety-nine Chinese children aged from 10.1 to 11.2 years were recruited and measured visual–spatial, arithmetic, and reading abilities. Their mathematical and Chinese language academic achievements were collected for two consecutive school years, respectively, during the same year as cognitive tests and 1 year after the cognitive tests. Correlation analysis indicated that visual–spatial, arithmetic, and reading abilities and academic achievements were significantly correlated with each other. The structural equation modelling analyses showed that there were two paths from visual–spatial ability to academic achievement: a major path mediated by arithmetic ability and a minor serial mediation path from visual–spatial ability to arithmetic ability to reading ability, then to academic achievement. Results shed light on the importance of visual–spatial ability in education.
Highlights
It is well documented that academic achievement in primary school significantly impacts children’s physical and mental health (Steinmayr et al, 2015; Bempechat et al, 2018; Bücker et al, 2018; Gremmen et al, 2019)
Recent longitudinal studies provided further evidence that visual–spatial ability could predict arithmetic development (Zhang et al, 2014) and arithmetic ability (Lefevre et al, 2010). These results indicated an assumption that visual– spatial ability might impact academic achievement through arithmetic ability
We found that the relationship between children’s visual–spatial ability and academic achievement was mediated by arithmetic ability and reading ability
Summary
It is well documented that academic achievement in primary school significantly impacts children’s physical and mental health (Steinmayr et al, 2015; Bempechat et al, 2018; Bücker et al, 2018; Gremmen et al, 2019). What are the cognitive factors that significantly predict academic achievement in primary school children? How do cognitive factors cooperate to impact academic achievement? Recent longitudinal studies demonstrated visual–spatial ability as a key predictor of success in mathematical achievement for primary school children (Gilligan et al, 2017; Geer et al, 2019). Visual–spatial ability is no doubt one of the important cognitive components related to academic achievement for school children
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