Counting Skills Research Articles

Factor structure of early numeracy: evaluation of a measurement model in greek-speaking children with intellectual disabilities

Exploring the individual differences of the longitudinal growth of early numeracy (EN) in young children with Intellectual disabilities (IDs) prerequires the critical stage of exploring and validating the potential factor structure. Despite the fact that Relational Skills (RS), Counting Skills (CS) and Operations (O) are expected to constitute distinct domains of EN, there is not sufficient evidence to support either the above position or the position that they are different means of assessing a general-informal numeracy skill construct. This study was designed to shed light in the field through the evaluation of a measurement model describing the structure of RS, CS and O domains of EN and their interrelation. The sample included N = 155 children with IDs, enrolled in special school classes, mentally aged between 5;02 (y;m) and 6;10 (M = 5.11, SD = 0.974). Confirmatory Factor Analysis indicated a “good fit” of the two-factor model (RS, CS + O) of EN in ID (RMSEA=.029 < 0.08, CFI = 0.98 ≥ 0.90 and SRMR = 0.000 < 0.08). No measurement invariance across gender was reported for the proposed two-factor model of EN. The nested EN models validated full measurement invariance across gender. Finally, educational implications are discussed.

Performance of second-grade elementary school students on counting, place value understanding, and addition operation in natural numbers

The aim of this study was to investigate second-grade elementary school students’ performance related to their counting skills, place value understanding, and addition operation in natural numbers. A total of 205 second-grade elementary school students from Turkey participated in this study. The data were collected through a ‘Personal Information Form,’ ‘Counting Skills Test (CST),’ ‘Place Value Understanding Test (PVUT),’ and ‘Addition Operations Test (AOT).’ The data were analyzed using independent samples t-test, correlation coefficient, and regression analysis. It was indicated through the results that the second-grade students demonstrated their highest performance in counting skills and lowest performance in understanding the concept of place value. No significant difference was determined between the female and male students’ performance as it related to CST, PVUT, and AOT. There were moderate positive relationships between the students’ performance related to counting skills, place value understanding, and addition operation in natural numbers. It was also shown in the results of the regression analyses that the addition operation, place value understanding, and counting skills performance in natural numbers were all important variables predicting students’ mathematics achievement and explained 61% of the total variance.

The Relationship Between Confidence and Conformity in a Non-routine Counting Task With Young Children: Dedicated to the Memory of Purificación Rodríguez.

Counting is a complex cognitive process that is paramount to arithmetical development at school. The improvement of counting skills of children depends on their understanding of the logical and conventional rules involved. While the logical rules are mandatory and related to one-to-one correspondence, stable order, and cardinal principles, conventional rules are optional and associated with social customs. This study contributes to unravel the conceptual understanding of counting rules of children. It explores, with a developmental approach, the performance of children on non-routine counting detection tasks, their confidence in their answers (metacognitive monitoring skills), and their ability to change a wrong answer by deferring to the opinion of a unanimous majority who justified or did not justify their claims. Hundred and forty nine children aged from 5 to 8 years were randomized to one of the experimental conditions of the testimony of teachers: with (n = 74) or without justification (n = 75). Participants judged the correctness of different types of counting procedures presented by a computerized detection task, such as (a) pseudoerrors that are correct counts where conventional rules are violated (e.g., first counting six footballs, followed by other six basketballs that were interspersed along the row), and (b) compensation errors that are incorrect counts where logical rules were broken twice (e.g., skipping the third element of the row and then labeling the sixth element with two number words, 5 and 6). Afterwards, children rated their confidence in their detection answer with a 5-point scale. Subsequently, they listened to the testimony of the teachers and showed either conformity or non-conformity. The participants considered both compensation errors and pseudoerrors as incorrect counts in the detection task. The analysis of the confidence of children in their responses suggested that they were not sensitive to their incorrect performance. Finally, children tended to conform more often after hearing a justification of the testimony than after hearing only the testimonies of the teachers. It can be concluded that the age range of the evaluated children failed to recognize the optional nature of conventional counting rules and were unaware of their misconceptions. Nevertheless, the reasoned justifications of the testimony, offered by a unanimous majority, promoted considerable improvement in the tendency of the children to revise those misconceptions.

Quick count training for junior high school teachers in Gayo Lues District

This community service is carried out together with the Gayo Lues District Education Office. The purpose of this activity is to improve the speed counting skills and junior high school teachers in Gayo Lues, so that each teacher can become an agent of change in improving students' fast counting skills. The implementation of the activity began with a pre-test, discussion of partner problems, mentoring and training, review and evaluation by giving rewards to participants who get the best score. The results of the initial pre-test showed that the math teachers' ability to count quickly in Gayo Lues district was still low, where only 22.5% of the teachers were able to solve the questions according to the time given. However, after training and mentoring, more teachers were able to solve quick arithmetic questions according to the set time (75%). Although the level of accuracy is still low.

Improving Simple Calculation Ability In Student With Intellectual Disabilities Using The Guess Game

Students with intellectual disabilities often have difficulties in simple arithmetic so that the expected learning objectives are not achieved, the purpose of this study is to improve the simple arithmetic ability of fourth-grade students of Special school Putra Pasundan 1 Banjar city. This research method uses classroom action research that takes place in two cycles, each cycle consisting of 2 meetings, the research subjects are 4th grade Student With Intellectual Disabilities with mild mental retardation. The data collection technique used is observation and test learning outcomes. The data analysis used is descriptive qualitative which consists of 3 stages, namely (1) data reduction, (2) data display, and (3) making conclusions and verification. The data collected shows that number guessing games can improve simple counting skills in fourth grade mentally retarded children at the Special school of Putra Pasundan 1, with pre-test/pre-cycle data, no students can reach the minimum assessment limit and the percentage in cycle 1 is 50% or 2 students, who get scores that meet the minimum assessment limit have shown an increase after cycle 2 is carried out all students (4 students) have reached the standard limit minimum assessment in percentage that is 100%. In addition, the use of guessing games increases active participation, is more motivated, has a sense of togetherness, and fosters self-confidence. This research is useful for teachers to guide Student With Intellectual Disabilities in learning simple arithmetic, especially adding up using number guessing games.

5-6 YAŞ GRUBU ÇOCUKLARIN SAYI VE SAYMA BECERİLERİ İLE PROBLEM ÇÖZME BECERİLERİ ARASINDAKİ İLİŞKİNİN İNCELENMESİ

Okul öncesi eğitime devam eden çocukların, sayı ve sayma becerileri ile problem çözme becerileri arasındaki ilişkiyi incelemek amacıyla yapılan bu çalışmada, ilişkisel tarama modeli kullanılmıştır. Araştırmaya 112’si kız, 104’ü erkek olmak üzere 5-6 yaş grubunda olan toplam 216 çocuk katılmıştır. Araştırmada veri toplama aracı olarak “Kişisel Bilgi Formu”, “Problem Çözme Becerisi Ölçeği” ve “Erken Sayı Testi” kullanılmıştır. Araştırmadan elde edilen sonuçlara göre; problem çözme becerisi ile sayı ve sayma becerisi arasında yüksek düzeyde, pozitif ve anlamlı ilişki olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Bunun yanında yaş değişkeninin hem sayı ve sayma becerisini hem de problem çözme becerisini etkilediği, çocukların yaşı büyüdükçe becerilerinin de geliştiği sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. Cinsiyet ise her iki değişkeni anlamlı olarak etkilememiştir. Ulaşılan sonuçlar ilgili literatür temelinde tartışılmıştır.

Taking the biscuit

Cooking is one of the most enjoyable ways to apply mathematical thinking and will help children to transfer their new found counting skills to many other activities and everyday tasks. Observe how they begin to correct their own mistakes.

Fostering early numerical competencies by playing conventional board games

Recent evidence indicates that playing numerical board games is beneficial for the numerical development of preschoolers. However, board games used in these studies were often specifically developed for training numerical skills. Therefore, we examined whether similar beneficial effects could be observed for playing conventional board games such as Parcheesi. In an intervention study with seven 30-min training sessions over a period of 4 weeks, we observed that 4- to 6-year-old children (Mage = 4 years 11 months) who played conventional board games with traditional number dice (with dot faces numbered from one to six) benefitted more from the board games than children who played board games with color or non-numerical symbol dice. Pretest–posttest comparisons indicated differential effects on counting skills and the ability to recognize and use structures. Beyond these immediate training effects observed in posttest, the differential beneficial effects of playing board games using traditional dot dice on recognizing and using structures was still present in a follow-up test 1 year after the intervention. Thus, playing conventional board games using traditional number dice seems to be an effective low-threshold intervention to foster early numerical competencies.

An early numeracy intervention for first-graders at risk for mathematical learning difficulties

The aim of this study was to investigate whether early numeracy skills of South African first graders who are at-risk for mathematical learning difficulties can be improved with an intervention program. The participants were 267 children from 17 classrooms in the greater Johannesburg area. In this quasi-experimental small group intervention study (15 sessions over 5 weeks) the outcome measure was early numeracy skills. Based on pretest early numeracy scores, the children were divided into an intervention group (N = 40), a low performing control group (N = 32), and an average performing control group (N = 195). The main result was that the intervention group had improved more in numerical relational skills, compared to low-controls; this effect remained statistically significant after controlling for executive functions, language skills and kindergarten attendance, and was also observable in the delayed post-measurement. Executive functions, language skills and kindergarten attendance all predicted the level of early numeracy skills at the beginning of the intervention, but only executive functions explained individual differences in counting skills development from pre- to delayed posttest.

The correlation between motor and cognitive dysfunction in multiple sclerosis

The correlation between motor and cognitive dysfunction in multiple sclerosis Konstantin K. Mineev, Andrey M. Petrov, Marina V. Votintseva, Igor' D. Stolyarov N.P. Beсhtereva Institute of Human Brain of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia Introduction. Impaired ambulation is one of the most common and disabling symptoms in multiple sclerosis (MS). Cognitive impairment occurs in the early stages of MS and worsens as the disease progresses. The aim of the study was to investigate the correlation between walking speed and distance and the severity of neurological and cognitive impairment in MS. Materials and methods. We examined 59 patients with relapsing-remitting MS in clinical remission. Motor function was evaluated using the timed 25-foot walk (mobility and leg function performance test based on a timed 25-walk), the nine-hole peg test was used to assess upper limb motor function, the Ashworth Scale was used to evaluate lower limb spasticity, the EDSS scale (pyramidal function) was used to evaluate gait spasticity, and tests for sustained attention, counting skills, short-term and delayed memory, mathematical logic, speech fluency, and sensorimotor reaction speed were used to assess cognitive function. Results. In MS, an increased score on the disability scale was accompanied by increased motor disturbances, reduced distance covered when walking, decreased walking speed, and slower hand movements. Increased spasticity was accompanied by a deterioration in cognitive test performance. The study showed a high correlation between spasticity and reduced computational abilities, mathematical logic, and the ability to remember shapes. Walking distance correlated with attention span and short-term and delayed memory while walking speed characteristics correlated with the movement speed of the non-dominant hand. Slower hand activity correlated with the conducted cognitive tests, with the most significant differences recorded in the non-dominant hand. Conclusion. The study results indicate significant and varied motor and cognitive dysfunction in MS patients, caused by damage to both the conduction pathways in the brain and spinal cord and the cortical grey matter. The obtained data on the close correlation between motor and cognitive impairments allow us to better understand the mechanisms of MS development and to apply this knowledge in clinical practice.

Effect of Simplifying Protein Counting Tool and Educational Intervention on the Nutritional Status in Patient with Cirrhosis: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Background: Protein-calorie malnutrition (PCM) is a common problem in cirrhotic patients and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Diet plays a key role as a nutritional therapy in chronic liver disease. However, most cirrhotic patients have not received adequate nutrition counseling from their physicians and very few patients have access to a registered dietician. Objective: To study effect of simplifying protein counting tool and educational intervention on the nutritional status in patient with cirrhosis. Materials and Methods: An open-label, randomized clinical trial was conducted at GI clinic from October 2018 to February 2020. After a short period of nutrition counseling, participants were randomly assigned to the intervention group who received simplifying protein counting tool and the control group. The outcomes were nutritional status at 3 and 6 months: serum albumin, transferrin, Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) score, MELD score, Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment score (PG-SGA), and protein counting skill. Results: A total of 57 patients were enrolled. Of these, 18/30 (60%) of intervention group and 13/27 (48.2%) of control group had serum albumin improvement at 3 months. Protein counting skill achieved in 15 (50%) in the intervention group compared with 10 (37.0%) in the control group (p = 0.43). Patients who had achieved protein counting skill had statistically significant improvements in serum albumin (p&lt;0.01), transferrin (p&lt;0.01), CTP score (p&lt;0.01) at 3 months and improvements in serum albumin (p&lt;0.01), PG-SGA (p&lt;0.01), CTP score (p&lt;0.01), and MELD score (p&lt;0.01) at 6 months. Conclusion: Simplifying protein counting tool may improve protein counting skill. Nutrition advice may encourage the cirrhotic patient to have adequate protein intake to maintain a good nutritional status. Keywords: Cirrhosis, Malnutrition, Protein counting tool

Effect of adherence to carbohydrate counting on metabolic control in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

PurposeCarbohydrate counting provides better glycemic control and flexibility than other food planning methods. Consistent adherence to such a complex method is difficult, especially for youth. However, studies that determine adherence to this method and whether it alters metabolic control are limited. The aim of the current study was to determine adherence to this method and investigate its effect on metabolic control, anthropometric measurements, insulin dose, and energy intake.MethodsIn this prospective cross-sectional study, 53 children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus aged 2 to18 years and receiving intensive insulin therapy were trained and followed for 6 months. Demographics, anthropometrics, insulin requirements, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), fasting lipids, and food records at baseline and study conclusion were evaluated. At the end of the study patients were divided into adherer and nonadherer groups according to carbohydrate estimate deviations from standardized daily sample menus and calculations for accurate insulin doses. More than 10-g variation in daily consumed carbohydrate amount or failure to decide bolus insulin dose was defined as a nonadherer.ResultsThe mean HbA1c, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and body mass index standard deviation score changed after the carbohydrate counting training while the mean HbA1c between groups was significant (P<0.05). Total daily insulin doses increased, and the mean high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels decreased in both groups. There were significant correlations between HbA1c and carbohydrate deviation scores as well as HbA1c and caregiver's education level.ConclusionsSince adherence to carbohydrate counting may affect metabolic control, health professionals should evaluate and monitor carbohydrate counting skills of caregivers and patients in order to improve efficiency.

The Academic Performance of Pupils with Autism and Intellectual Impairment in Special and Inclusive Primary Schools in Tanzania

In Tanzania, several initiatives have been made in establishment of special and inclusive schools, mostly in urban areas. The government and community at large show commitments in addressing the needs of pupils with autism and intellectual impairment including the curriculum for learners with mental disabilities of 2008 in primary schools. The question that arises is whether pupils with autism and intellectual impairment in special and inclusive classrooms in Tanzania perform well academically. It is on this premise that this study was based. The study intended to assess academic performance of pupils with autism and intellectual impairment in special and inclusive classrooms in Tanzania. The study employed mixed methods research approach with a quasi-mixed design. Data were collected using pupil’s assessment tool. Five inclusive primary schools were purposively chosen from two regions in Tanzania Mainland. Fifty pupils with autism and intellectual impairment participated in the study. Descriptive and inferential statistics were computed. The paired t-test was used to analyse the counting skills of the pupils, while the differences in their academic performance was established by the use of chi-square test. The findings revealed that pupils with intellectual impairment performed relatively higher in all selected tasks (number, communication and vocational skills) comparing to pupils with autism. As such, some deliberate efforts are required for enabling them to acquire competencies as outlined in the curriculum for primary school pupils in Tanzania. Keywords: Academic performance, Autism, Intellectual impairment, Special and inclusive schools, Tanzania DOI: 10.7176/JEP/11-20-07 Publication date: July 31 st 2020

Are Primary School 2nd Grade Students Ready for Division?

In this study, levels of readiness the second grade students in primary school before learning the division process were examined with a problem requiring division process. Preliminary learning required for division can be listed as rhythmic counting (forward-backward), consecutive subtraction, multiplication, division and grouping skills. The research was handled screening model and document analysis technique was used. The study group consisted of all the second grade students (n = 120) studying in a primary school in Aşkale district of Erzurum. Descriptive analysis was performed on the data. According to the findings; in solving the problem requiring division, students were found to reach the correct answer by using strategies such as consecutive subtraction by 5 (sequential subtraction), forward rhythmic counting by 5, forming identical groups, finding the number of groups, and using models. As a result of the fact that the students do not use the multiplication strategy of finding the multiplier that is not given. However, they mostly use rhythmic counting, grouping and model using strategies, which shows that the children gain their counting skills but do not establish the relationship between multiplication and multiplication process. Keywords: Division Process, Student Made Strategies, Prior Knowledge. Special Issue of Educational Sciences DOI: 10.7176/JSTR/6-06-04

Format-dependent and format-independent representation of sequential and simultaneous numerosity in the crow endbrain

Humans’ symbolic counting skills are built on a primordial ability to approximately estimate the number of items, or numerosity. To date it is debated whether numerosities presented in categorically different formats, that is as temporal sequences versus spatial arrays, are represented abstractly in the brain. To address this issue, we identified the behavioral characteristics and neuronal codes for sequential and simultaneous number formats in crows. We find a format-dependent representation by distinct groups of selective neurons during the sensory encoding stage. However, an abstract and format-independent numerosity code emerges once the encoding phase is completed and numerosities needed to be memorized. These results suggest a successive two-stage code for categorically different number formats and help to reconcile conflicting findings observed in psychophysics and brain imaging.

Validation of an Early Numeracy Screener for First Graders

ABSTRACT This study investigated the psychometric properties of the Early Numeracy Screener. The Early Numeracy Screener is a teacher-administered, paper-and-pencil test measuring counting skills, numerical relational skills, and basic arithmetic skills. Three hundred and sixty-six first graders took the Early Numeracy Screener at the beginning of the school year. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted in order to examine whether the screening tool was identified as a one-factor model or a three-factor model. The confirmatory factor analysis found evidence for the three-factor model, establishing construct validity. Evidence for criterion-related validity was found in crosstabulation and correlation with the national test measuring overall mathematics performance taken towards the end of the school year. The Early Numeracy Screener may serve as an indicator of young children’s performance in early numeracy. The brevity and ease of use of the Early Numeracy Screener make it suitable for classroom instructional settings.

Mismatch of the South African Foundation Phase Curriculum Demands and Learners’ Current Knowledge

Against the background of the low mathematical performance of South African learners in international panel studies, there is an urgent need to improve mathematical education. In particular, the curriculum and its structure raise questions. It is logical that the prescribed curricula should align with learners’ developmental trajectories. Given the hierarchical structure of mathematics, the curricular requirements should pay attention to learners’ current knowledge of mathematical concepts. The aim of this study was to compare the curricular requirements as defined by the CAPS with the conceptual current knowledge of South African learners. South African Grade 1 learners (N = 602) were assessed on a test of numeracy concepts, based on a theoretically informed and empirically validated model of developing mathematical proficiency. The content of the CAPS for Grade 1 was aligned to the model levels by two experts (Cohen’s κ = .753, p < 0.001). Results show that the curricular requirements go far beyond the current knowledge required to engage with these new concepts of the vast majority of South African Grade 1 learners. The mismatch may to some extent be responsible for the unsatisfactory results in international comparison studies. These results show that the intended curriculum is beyond the grasp of most South African Grade 1 learners. These children are unlikely to develop new arithmetic concepts based on their lack of required foundation knowledge. We therefore argue that the intended curriculum for Grade 1 should focus more on counting skills, ordinal relations between numbers and—most importantly—set-based number representations and part–part–whole relations.

Identifying the preschool home learning experiences that predict early number skills: Evidence from a longitudinal study

This study examines the longitudinal relationships between home learning experiences and early number skills. The counting, number transcoding and calculation skills of 274 children were assessed in the penultimate term of preschool (Mage = 4:0). Prior to these assessments, parents completed questionnaires that surveyed the frequency of the children's home learning experiences. Three types of experiences were indexed: code-focused home literacy experiences that focus on the phonological and orthographic features of language, meaning-focused home literacy experiences that focus on sharing the meaning of language and text, and home number experiences. The children's language abilities (phonological awareness and vocabulary) and nonverbal abilities (inhibitory control and nonverbal reasoning) were assessed in the final term of preschool (Mage = 4:3). Their number skills were reassessed in the final term of the first year of primary school (Mage = 5:3). Home letter–sound interaction experiences (interactive code-focused literacy experiences) had significant longitudinal relationships with counting and number transcoding that were independent of language and nonverbal abilities. The relationship between letter–sound interaction experiences and later counting was also independent of the autoregressive influence of baseline counting ability. We extend previous findings by demonstrating that interactive code-focused home literacy experiences in the preschool period predict growth in counting skills even when a broad range of language and cognitive abilities are controlled. Supporting parents to engage in code-focused home literacy experiences may benefit pre-schoolers’ counting skills.

The structure of cognitive and non-cognitive impairment in patients with hallucinatory-paranoid disorders in mixed dementia

The aim of the study was to determine the specifics of cognitive impairment and clinic-psychopathological characteristics in patients with hallucinatory-paranoid disorders in mixed dementia. In study involved 72 patients with hallucinatory-paranoid disorders in mixed dementia (main group) and 61 patients with mixed dementia without psychotic disorders (control group). To achieve the goals and objectives of the study a comprehensive approach was used, which was implemented using the following research methods: the clinic-psychopathological method (a structured interview conducted as part of the clinical, phenomenological and psychopathological approaches in psychiatry), elementary neuropsychological studies of the main cognitive functions of patients (compilation of pictures, understanding of stories and plot pictures, establishing a sequence of events, classification, elimination of excess, highlight significant features, search for analogies, definition and comparison of concepts, formation of artificial concepts, selection antonyms words), held in a structured interview; Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) short mental state assessment scale; Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale (MoCa); Behavioral Disorders Scale (BEHAVE-AD) and non-cognitive sections of the Alzheimer's Disease Rating Scale (ADAS-Non Cog). As a result of the study, features of cognitive impairment in mixed dementia with hallucinatory-paranoid disorders, which included: decreased concentration, impaired praxis, gnosis, delayed reproduction, counting skills, thinking (motivational, operational components of thinking and criticality) and orientation in one's own personality. The psychopathological features of hallucinatory-paranoid disorders in the structure of mixed dementia were determined, which included: delusions about dishonesty of others, hallucinations, disorders of the depressive spectrum, vagrancy, aimless activity (cognitive bulimia), inappropriate behavior, circadian rhythm disturbance, fear of being left alone. The distinguished features must be taken into account in the process of diagnosis and treatment of patients with hallucinatory-paranoid disorders in mixed dementia.

Reliability and validity of an Arabic version of a questionnaire to assess carbohydrate counting skills, knowledge of heart-healthy foods, and nutrition label-reading skills in adults with diabetes

Reliability and validity of an Arabic version of a questionnaire to assess carbohydrate counting skills, knowledge of heart-healthy foods, and nutrition label-reading skills in adults with diabetes