Acquisition Of Arithmetic Research Articles

Eye movements reveal that young school children shift attention when solving additions and subtractions.

Adults shift their attention to the right or to the left along a spatial continuum when solving additions and subtractions, respectively. Studies suggest that these shifts not only support the exact computation of the results but also anticipatively narrow down the range of plausible answers when processing the operands. However, little is known on when and how these attentional shifts arise in childhood during the acquisition of arithmetic. Here, an eye-tracker with high spatio-temporal resolution was used to measure spontaneous eye movements, used as a proxy for attentional shifts, while children of 2nd (8 y-o; N=50) and 4th (10 y-o; N=48) Grade solved simple additions (e.g., 4+3) and subtractions (e.g., 3-2). Gaze patterns revealed horizontal and vertical attentional shifts in both groups. Critically, horizontal eye movements were observed in 4th Graders as soon as the first operand and the operator were presented and thus before the beginning of the exact computation. In 2nd Graders, attentional shifts were only observed after the presentation of the second operand just before the response was made. This demonstrates that spatial attention is recruited when children solve arithmetic problems, even in the early stages of learning mathematics. The time course of these attentional shifts suggests that with practice in arithmetic children start to use spatial attention to anticipatively guide the search for the answer and facilitate the implementation of solving procedures. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Additions and subtractions are associated to right and left attentional shifts in adults, but it is unknown when these mechanisms arise in childhood. Children of 8-10 years old solved single-digit additions and subtractions while looking at a blank screen. Eye movements showed that children of 8 years old already show spatial biases possibly to represent the response when knowing both operands. Children of 10 years old shift attention before knowing the second operand to anticipatively guide the search for plausible answers.

The longitudinal contributions of preschool executive functions and early math abilities to arithmetic skills in elementary school

Executive functions (EFs) are linked to children’s overall math performance, although few studies have considered the joint role of prior math abilities for specific math subskills, such as arithmetic. The current study examined the longitudinal contributions of preschool EFs and early math abilities to children’s accuracy and reaction time on arithmetic problems. Two hundred and eighty-three children completed EF and numeracy assessments at 5.25 years old. Children completed an arithmetic problem task in first (Mage = 7.14), second (Mage = 8.09), and third grade (Mage = 9.08). Results indicated that preschool EFs and math abilities are uniquely linked to children’s accuracy and reaction time at age 7, whereas preschool EFs alone continue to predict accuracy at age 8 and reaction time at age 9, even after accounting for intervening arithmetic performance. The study highlights the sustained, unique importance of early EFs for children’s arithmetic acquisition.

Specific contributions of phonological abilities to early reading acquisition: Results from a Dutch latent variable longitudinal study.

Contributions of phonological abilities to early reading acquisition were examined in a longitudinal study of 166 Dutch children from kindergarten through 2nd grade. Various phonological abilities, nonverbal intelligence, vocabulary, and letter knowledge were assessed in kindergarten and Grade 1. Reading and arithmetic were examined in 1st and 2nd grades. The importance of individual differences in phonological ability for Subsequent reading acquisition changed over time. At first, the effects of phonological abilities increased, but after Grade 1, these effects disappeared. Phonological awareness and rapid naming had independent and specific influences on reading achievement. Verbal working memory was associated with both reading and arithmetic acquisition. The results tend to support an interactive view of the relation between development of phonological abilities and learning to read.

Linguistic and Cultural Influences on Learning Mathematics

Contents: R. Cocking, J. Mestre, Introduction and Overview. R. Cocking, S. Chipman, Conceptual Issues Related to Mathematics Achievement of Language Minority Children. G.B. Saxe, Linking Language with Mathematics Achievement: Problems and Prospects. J.B. Stone, Intention and Convention in Mathematics Instruction: Reflections on the Learning of Deaf Students. E.K. Scholnick, Why Should Developmental Psychologists Be Interested in Studying the Acquisition of Arithmetic. M.F. Charbonneau, V. John-Steiner, Patterns of Experience and the Language of Mathematics. E.A. DeAvila, Bilingualism, Cognitive Function, and Language Minority Group Membership. S.L. Tsang, The Mathematics Achievement Characteristics of Asian American Students. P. MacCorquodale, Mexican-American Women and Mathematics: Participation, Aspirations, and Achievement. W.L. Leap, Assumptions and Strategies Guiding Mathematics Problem-Solving Among Ute Indian Students. K.J. Travers, Opportunity to Learn Mathematics in Eighth Grade Classrooms in the United States: Some Findings from the Second International Mathematics Study. J.P. Mestre, The Role of Language Comprehension in Mathematics and Problem Solving. Linguistic Features of Mathematical Problem Solving: Insights and Application. G. Spanos, N. Rhodes, T.C. Dale, J. Crandall, R.P. Duran, Bilinguals' Logical Reasoning Aptitudes: A Construct Validity Study. D.E. Myers, A.M. Milne, Effects of Home and Primary Language on Mathematics Achievement: A Model and Results for Secondary Analyses. J. Suina, Epilogue: And Then I Went to School.

Assessment and Education of Children With Cerebral Palsy in the Soviet Union

Soviet defectological literature on children with cerebral palsy (CP) is concerned with diagnosis and assessment of cognitive functions as well as with education and training. Three syndromes have been identified as part of childhood cerebral pathology: CP, oligophrenia, and minimal brain damage. Various communication, sensory, perceptual, and cognitive defects of CP children are discussed in the literature, as well as educational difficulties with acquisition of arithmetic, reading, and writing skills. Remedial efforts have included physical exercise, manual labor, perceptual training, and verbal mediation techniques.