BackgroundPrevious research has shown that foundational linguistic skills (i.e., phonological awareness and grammatical ability) indirectly (through arithmetic skills) predict growth from fifth-to sixth-grade geometric and fraction skills. AimsOur study aimed to investigate the linguistic precursors of sixth-grade geometric and fraction skills in children with and without DLD, while examining potential (cognitive) strengths within the DLD group that may partly compensate for learning geometry and fractions, at both the group and individual level. SampleParticipants were 46 children with DLD and 122 typically developing peers from 9 to 11 years of age. MethodsClassroom and individual measures were administered in both grade 4 and grade 6. ResultsAt the group level, results showed children with DLD to score below their peers on arithmetic, geometric, and fraction skills. Furthermore, indirect effects of phonological awareness and naming speed, via arithmetic skills, on geometric and fraction skills were found to be equally strong for both groups. In addition, similar strengths for both groups were found for nonverbal intelligence, academic vocabulary, and verbal reasoning in directly predicting the scores in geometric and fraction skills. Finally, at the individual level, a strength in verbal reasoning was found to partly compensate the delays in mathematics in children with DLD. ConclusionsThe educational needs of children with and without DLD in mathematics learning might be more quantitative in nature than that they are qualitative. In addition, identifying individual strengths should be integrated into standardized test batteries and treatment approaches.