Numeracy Performance Research Articles

Investigating prison factors related to literacy and numeracy skills of incarcerated adults

Incarcerated adults in the United States are a vulnerable group with substantially low skills and educational attainment. However, the extent to which various, malleable prison factors are related to the skills of adults from diverse backgrounds remains scarcely explored. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to explore such factors in order to examine which prison programs and activities are associated with higher skills for incarcerated adults in the United States. The sample included 1247 inmates who participated in the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies survey. Regression analysis results revealed that completing more than high school education in prison was linked to higher performance in literacy and numeracy. Also, higher performance was associated with more time in prison, suggesting that program benefits for inmates with shorter time in prison might go unnoticed. Lastly, the most notable differences in performance were related to participation in prison job training. Even though many incarcerated adults partake in various prison programs and activities, participation in these programs was not consistently associated with higher literacy or numeracy skills. Potentially, prison programs might not be providing sufficient applied opportunities for enhancing skills. Findings from this study suggest a need for a closer evaluation of the malleable prison factors and programs relating to the literacy and numeracy skills of incarcerated adults in the United States.

Early Language Literacy and Numeracy Skills of Kindergarten Learners in Talakag Bukidnon

In the contemporary context, young Filipinos from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds are encountering challenges in mastering fundamental language and numeracy skills, impeding their educational advancement. To address this issue, a study was conducted in Talakag District 1, Bukidnon during the 2022-2023 academic year, focusing on kindergarten learners aged 4-5. The study aimed to outline the participants’ characteristics, evaluate their proficiency in early language literacy and numeracy during the 1st and 2nd Quarters of the school year, and establish links between their learning skills and backgrounds. With 154 kindergarten learners involved, the study employed a descriptive correlational research approach, analyzing data using descriptive statistics and Spearman Correlation to identify significant relationships between language and math skills and participants’ profiles. The findings indicated a predominance of female participants with parents engaged in farming, holding a high school education, and earning a household income of P 9,999 or less. Moreover, the study revealed that the learners’ performance in early language literacy and numeracy neared proficiency levels in the specified quarters, emphasizing a noteworthy connection between their skills and background factors, particularly the mothers’ educational attainment. Recommendations included a focus on enhancing early language and math skills by the Department of Education and encouraging teachers and parents to allocate more time to enrichment activities.

The importance of home numeracy environment in preschoolers’ spontaneous focusing on numerosity: A mediation study

Home numeracy environment encompasses both home provision of numeracy activities for preschool children as well as parental attitudes toward mathematics. The present study investigated the mediating role of home numeracy activities in the relationship between parental academic expectations for their children and children's spontaneous focusing on numerosity (SFON). A total of 176 parent-child dyads from Hong Kong participated in the study where children were tested on their SFON tendency, while parents completed a questionnaire on home numeracy environment which included measures on both home numeracy activities and parental expectations for their children on numeracy performance. Our results revealed, for the first time, a mediating role of home numeracy activities—specifically operational activities—in the relationship between parental expectations for their children on numeracy performance and their children's SFON tendency. The present findings highlight the importance of a nurturing home numeracy environment on preschoolers’ SFON tendency, which has potentially far-reaching significance on children's math achievement in later years.

Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis of Student Teacher Evaluation Questionnaire (STEQ) for Teacher

Philippines currently facing a learning crisis in the K to 12 evaluations. With explora-tory and confirmatory factor analysis, this study developed a teacher evaluation questionnaire for effective teaching mathematics. Participants are coming from math teachers (N1 = 65), students (N2 = 76), principals and math supervisors (N3 = 61). Exploratory factor Analysis identified 15 factors. Multiple factor characteristics and literature provides support for 61 items on 15 factors. Confirmatory factor analy-sis, using the second sample (N=202), examined the 15-factor model identified from the exploratory factor analysis. Fit indices were used to evaluate the model fit, and these indices were able to identify the seven most fit factors. The Cronbach alpha coefficient is (0.903) excellent from the third sample (N=71). These analyses provide support for the seven-factor structure of the final 17-items STEQ, which will serve as a valuable classroom teacher evaluation tool for both supervisors and researchers to assess teachers teaching effectiveness in the Southern part of Mindanao. It is rec-ommended to utilize the STEQ to determine effective teachers in teaching mathe-matics to elevate the numeracy performance of the country.

Spatial Reasoning Supports Preschool Numeracy: Findings From a Large-Scale Nationally Representative Randomized Control Trial

We assessed the efficacy of two spatial learning programs grounded in early years learning pedagogical theory to improve numeracy performance in preschool. Engagement with a play-based spatial program led to better overall spatial reasoning and transferred to better numeracy compared with a business-as-usual control, underscoring the importance of embedding spatial learning within strong pedagogy and authentic preschool contexts. Engagement with the same spatial program using a spatialized curriculum (e.g., gesture, sketching) showed large additive effects, highlighting the role of spatial reasoning tools to support transfer of spatial reasoning to numeracy. The effects of the two interventions were moderated by spatial reasoning, with children with lower spatial reasoning making the most gains in numeracy.

Building Numeracy Skills: Associations between DUPLO® Block Construction and Numeracy in Early Childhood.

Research shows that children's block construction skills are positively associated with their concurrent and later mathematics performance. Furthermore, there is evidence that block construction training is particularly beneficial for improving early mathematics skills in children from low-Socio Economic Status (SES) groups who are known to have lower maths performance than their peers. The current study investigates (a) the association between block construction and mathematics in children just before the start of formal schooling (4 years-of-age in the UK) and (b) whether the association between block construction and mathematics differs between children from more compared to less affluent families. Participants in this study included 116 children (M = 3 years 11 months, SD = 3 months) who all completed numeracy, block construction, and receptive vocabulary tasks. Socio-economic status and demographic information (child age, gender, ethnicity) were also obtained from parents. Findings show a strong positive association between block construction and early numeracy skills. Block construction skills explained approximately 5% of the variation in numeracy, even after controlling for age in months, household income, and child receptive vocabulary. When separated by SES group, for children from less affluent families, block construction explained a significant amount of variability (14.5%) in numeracy performance after covariates. For children from more affluent families, block construction did not explain a significant amount of variation in numeracy. These findings suggest that, interventions involving block construction skills may help to reduce SES-based attainment gaps in UK children's mathematics achievement.

Talk outside the box: Parents’ decontextualized language during preschool years relates to child numeracy and literacy skills in middle childhood

Children’s literacy and numeracy skills are fundamental for early academic performance and later academic success, mental health, and employment prospects in adulthood. Given that parents play a key role in promoting child development, identifying early parenting behaviors that predict literacy and numeracy skills is a research imperative. Emerging evidence suggests that parental use of decontextualized language (DL)—talk that requires cognitive abstraction and transcends the here and now—predicts children’s literacy skills. However, its relation to numeracy remains underexplored. Accordingly, the current study examined how DL during interaction with children in infancy (T1) and preschool years (T2) relates to child literacy and numeracy in middle childhood (T3). Participants were 26 Irish mother–father–child triads (16 female children). At T1 and T2, participants engaged in 5-min interactions that were coded for DL. At T3, child literacy and numeracy were assessed using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children–Fourth Edition and teacher report of child scores on national standardized tests. Controlling for child age and contextualized utterances, child reading in middle childhood was negatively related to maternal and child DL in infancy but was positively related to DL during preschool years, suggesting that the benefits of DL may become apparent later in development. Mothers’, fathers’, and children’s DL during preschool years was also positively linked with child numeracy in middle childhood. Thus, embedding DL in conversation with children may have positive domain-specific and cross-domain effects on children’s literacy and numeracy performance. Findings provide incentive for future research to examine relations between DL and children’s school performance across a wider range of developmental domains.

The influence of students’ prior numeracy achievement on later numeracy achievement as a function of gender and year levels

AbstractStudents’ prior achievements in school have significant correlations with their later achievements. Specifically, students’ prior numeracy achievement is the most important predictor of later numeracy success. However, the assessment of this predictor across gender and its trend across students’ year levels is often overlooked or not adequately investigated. This study examined the relationships between prior numeracy achievement and its influence on students’ later numeracy achievement across gender. A focus on students’ year level also supported this examination. The data source was the Australian National Assessment Program—Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) numeracy results of Years 5, 7 and 9 students (ages 9 to 14) from the 2017 to 2021 test years. The NAPLAN numeracy scores were analysed using regression analysis. The author examined prior numeracy achievement to determine the predictive value for students’ numeracy performance in NAPLAN across students’ year levels and gender. Findings from this study indicate that prior NAPLAN numeracy results for students were found to be very large in its predictive value (between R2 = .591 and .747) across the year levels. Notably, the predictive value showed an increasing pattern as students progressed through their academic years. Additionally, the study observed a discernible influence of gender on the predictive value of prior numeracy results. Potential initiatives to assist the educational outcomes of students across gender are discussed. Awareness of the influence of numeracy performance across gender might help teachers and educators create better and more efficient mathematics programs and targeted interventions. Such a decision requires identifying the relevant factors and measuring their degree of influence across students’ year levels and gender.

Enhancing numeracy instruction through games in pre-primary classrooms

The enormous importance of numeracy skill to pre-elementary children has tasked teachers with the burden of imparting the skill in an effective manner. Despite the fact that literature has documented the effectiveness of games approach in children instruction, to some, use of game is disruptive to actual learning. This necessitates more experimental studies to further clear ambiguities about the use of games in pre-primary classrooms. This study examined the impact of games on pre-primary children’s interest and performance in numeracy. A pretest-posttest, control group, quasi-experimental was adopted. Fifty Nursery Two pupils were randomly assigned to treatment and control groups. The instruments used were Pre-primary Children’s Numeracy Achievement Test (r=0.86) and Pupils’ Interest in Numeracy Scale (r=0.81). The data collected were analyzed using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) and Scheffe’s Post Hoc Pairwise Comparison. Results indicated that games method was effective on pre-primary children’s learning of numeracy (F (1, 42) = 373.502; P < 0.05) and also increased their interest in numeracy instruction (F (1, 42) = 9.773; P < 0.05). Based on these findings, recommendations were made that teachers, parents and curriculum developers should encourage the use of games method to improve numeracy instruction among pre-primary education.

Educational psychology perspective on constructive, social play and academic performance of primary school children in Nigeria

Poor performance in numeracy at the primary level of education may result from inadequate instructional materials, methods, techniques, or strategies used in teaching it. This study investigated the effects of constructive and social play on pupils’ academic performance in numeracy in Niger State. The study examined the interaction effects of constructive, social play, gender, and school type on pupils’ academic performance in numeracy in Niger State. The study adopted the social-cultural theory of Lev Vygotsky. The research design used was a pretest-posttest control group non-equivalent quasi-experimental design. A stratified random sampling technique was adopted to select six schools for the study. The instrument used was Numeracy Performance Test (NPT). The Pearson Moment Correlation Coefficient was used to ascertain the reliability coefficient of 0.76 coefficients that were obtained. Frequency counts, percentage, mean, and ANCOVA were used to analyze the data collected. The results revealed that social and constructive play substantially impacted pupils’ numeracy performance in Niger State. There was no gender-related difference in student performance in maths and no statistically significant interaction between therapy and gender on pupils’ performance in numeracy. In Niger State, there was no discernible correlation between the type of school and pupils’ performance in numeracy. Gender and school type did not significantly affect pupils’ academic performance in numeracy, suggesting that social play and constructive play increased higher performance in math than the traditional style of instruction.

Heterogeneity in children at risk of math learning difficulties.

This study recruited 428 Singaporean children at risk of math learning difficulties (MLD; Mage = 83.9 months, SDage = 4.35 months; 41% female). Using a factor mixture model that considered both quantitative and qualitative differences in math ability, two qualitatively different groups were identified: one with generalized difficulties across different math skills and the other with more focal difficulties in arithmetic fluency. Reading, working memory capacity, and numeracy (number line estimation skills and numerical discrimination) uniquely explained group membership. Children within each group differed in the extent of difficulties they exhibited, with numeracy variables differentially contributing to math ability in each group. Findings speak against a dimensional view of MLD and underscore the conceptual limitations of using basic numeracy performance to profile learning difficulties.

Which blueberries are better value? The development and validation of the functional numeracy assessment for adults with aphasia.

People with aphasia (PWA) can experience functional numeracy difficulties, that is, problems understanding or using numbers in everyday life, which can have numerous negative impacts on their daily lives. There is growing interest in designing functional numeracy interventions for PWA; however, there are limited suitable assessments available to monitor the impact of these interventions. Existing functional numeracy assessments lack breadth and are not designed to be accessible for PWA, potentially confounding their performance. Additionally, they do not include real-life demands, such as time pressure, which may affect their ecological validity. Thus, there is a crucial need for a new assessment to facilitate further research of PWA's functional numeracy. To develop, validate and pilot a wide-ranging, aphasia-friendly functional numeracy assessment to investigate how functional numeracy is impacted by aphasia severity and time pressure demands, and to explore predictors of PWA's functional numeracy. To develop the Functional Numeracy Assessment (FNA), 38 items inspired by the General Health Numeracy Test (GHNT) and Excellence Gateway were adapted for suitability for PWA and entered in a computerized psychometric-style test. The final 23 items (FNA23) were selected based on 213 neurotypical controls' performance, and controlled for difficulty, response modality and required numeracy skills. Aphasia-friendly adaptations of the GHNT and Subjective Numeracy Scale were used to examine the FNA23's concurrent validity. Internal consistency reliability and interrater reliability (for spoken responses) were also examined. A novel Time Pressure Task was created by slight adaptation of seven FNA23 questions to explore the effects of time pressure on functional numeracy performance. A total of 20 PWA and 102 controls completed all measures on an online testing platform. The FNA23 demonstrated acceptable internal consistency reliability (KR-20 = 0.81) and perfect interrater reliability (for spoken responses). FNA23 and GHNT scores were positively associated, suggesting satisfactory concurrent validity. PWA demonstrated poorer functional numeracy than controls and took longer to complete assessments, indicating that aphasia impacts functional numeracy. Time pressure did not significantly impact performance. PWA demonstrated a wide range of functional numeracy abilities, with some performing similarly to controls. The FNA23 is a wide-ranging, valid and reliable assessment which, with further development, will be a useful tool to identify and monitor PWA's functional numeracy difficulties in research and clinical practice. Considering PWA's widespread functional numeracy difficulties evidenced by this study, all PWA would likely benefit from routine evaluation for functional numeracy difficulties as part of their neurorehabilitation journeys. What is already known on this subject Few studies have investigated functional numeracy difficulties in PWA. No published functional numeracy assessments exist that have been specifically designed to be accessible for PWA. What this paper adds to existing knowledge The newly developed FNA23 is a valid and reliable tool to extensively assess PWA's functional numeracy. This study confirmed previous findings of widespread functional numeracy difficulties in PWA that are related to their aphasia severity. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? The FNA23 can be used to assess PWA's functional numeracy to inform areas of strengths and difficulties to target in intervention, and to monitor progress towards achieving intervention objectives. All PWA should be routinely evaluated for functional numeracy difficulties.

Grade 3 school performance among children born preterm: a population-based cohort study

ObjectiveTo study the association between prematurity and grade 3 school performance in a contemporary cohort of children.MethodsPopulation-based retrospective cohort study in Manitoba, Canada. Children born between 1999 and 2011 who...

Learning outcomes in primary school children with emotional problems: a prospective cohort study.

Academic difficulties are common in adolescents with mental health problems. Although earlier childhood emotional problems, characterised by heightened anxiety and depressive symptoms are common forerunners to adolescent mental health problems, the degree to which mental health problems in childhood may contribute independently to academic difficulties has been little explored. Data were drawn from a prospective cohort study of students in Melbourne, Australia (N=1239). Data were linked with a standardised national assessment of academic performance at baseline (9 years) and wave three (11 years). Depressive and anxiety symptoms were assessed at baseline and wave two (10 years). Regression analyses estimated the association between emotional problems (9 and/or 10 years) and academic performance at 11 years, adjusting for baseline academic performance, sex, age and socioeconomic status, and hyperactivity/inattention symptoms. Students with depressive symptoms at 9 years of age had lost nearly 4months of numeracy learning two years later after controlling for baseline academic performance and confounders. Results were similar for anxiety symptoms. Regardless of when depressive symptoms occurred there were consistent associations with poorer numeracy performance at 11 years. The association of depressive symptoms with reading performance was weaker than for numeracy if they were present at wave two. Persistent anxiety symptoms across two waves led to nearly a 4month loss of numeracy learning at 11 years, but the difference was not meaningful for reading. Findings were similar when including hyperactivity/inattention symptoms. Childhood anxiety and depression are not only forerunners of later mental health problems but predict academic achievement. Partnerships between education and health systems have the potential to not only improve childhood emotional problems but also improve learning.

The home numeracy environment and children’s math skills: The moderating role of parents’ math anxiety

Evidence suggests that parents’ math anxiety moderates the association between parents’ help in mathematics homework and first graders’ mathematics skills. Understanding whether similar associations are evident in younger children, in regard to the home numeracy environment (HNE) is essential, given that early math skills are strong predictors of later academic outcomes, and children’s skills prior to kindergarten are fostered principally by their parents. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the association and interaction between the HNE and parents’ math anxiety related to preschool children’s numeracy performance. Participants were 121 parent–child dyads. Results from hierarchical multiple regression models demonstrated that parents’ math anxiety and the HNE, included as separate predictors of children’s math skills, were not statistically significant. However, the interaction between HNE and parents’ math anxiety was statistically significant, such that the positive association between HNE and children’s numeracy skills emerged when parents felt less anxious about math. These findings highlight the importance of accounting for parents’ math anxiety when exploring the home influences on children’s numeracy skills.

Exploring Numeracy Skills of Lower Secondary School Students in Mountainous Areas of Northern Vietnam

In 2018, among 10 key competencies that the Vietnam Ministry of Education and Training has proposed in the new education curriculum, numeracy was identified as an essential competency that needs to be developed for students in the future. However, little is known about the numeracy of students in general, and of students in mountainous areas in particular. The aim of this study was to design an assessment of numeracy for students in the mountainous areas to understand their performance in numeracy. The study used the quantitative approach. A sample of 730 students in grades 6-8 from eight provinces in the mountainous areas of Northern Vietnam was recruited to participate in the study. A numeracy framework and three tests with anchor items were designed and developed to measure students’ numeracy. The results of the analysis using an approach to item response theory showed that the items had good fits with the model, and they could be used to describe numeracy learning progression with different levels of proficiency. The tests were reliable and valid, and the anchor items were good for connecting students’ competency among grades. The results also showed that Vietnamese students in mountainous areas tended to perform better in Arithmetic and Algebra problems than in real-life problems. The results provide convincing evidence of the practical performance in numeracy of students in various ethnic minority groups in Northern Vietnam.

Influence of home environment on children's foundational literacy and numeracy skills: A systematic synthesis with India in focus

India has the mission to ensure that every child attains foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) skills by the end of grade three. The National Initiatives for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy (NIPUN Bharat) is entrusted to monitor this target. However, the specific factors of the home environment, which vary among Indian children, can explain the low performance in literacy and numeracy. Therefore, this systematic review aimed to comprehensively identify the home environment factors that affect literacy and numeracy learning. Studies published between 2013 and 2022 were searched in the ERIC database. From 383 potentially relevant articles, the researchers included 38 primary studies. Systematic reviews and meta-analytic studies were excluded. The results showed that home learning environment factors do affect numeracy and literacy learning. Prominent factors were family learning background, reading and numerical activities and home resources. Other factors, such as the reading and numeracy interests of children and the parent-child relationship, also play an important role in the acquisition of foundational numeracy and literacy skills.

Improving Numeracy Skills in First Graders with Low Performance in Early Numeracy: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Children with low performance in early numeracy are at risk of facing learning difficulties in mathematics, but few trials have examined how this can be ameliorated. A total of 120 first-grade children ( Mage= 6.4 years) were randomly assigned to an intervention or a control condition. The 14-week intervention targeted early numeracy skills and was delivered in small groups three times a week. Immediately after the initial 8-week intervention phase, moderate and positive effects were found on early numeracy ( d = 0.19), word problem solving ( d = 0.41), and approximate number sense ( d = 0.35). However, only the effects on word problems were significant, and all effects disappeared after the children undertook a second 6-week intervention phase. Overall, results indicate that (a) early numeracy skills are malleable in low-performing children, but (b) frequent and long-term interventions are needed for the positive effects to last.

Effect of Concept Cartoons on Kindergarten Pupils’ Numeracy and Science Performance in Sagnarigu-Tamale, Ghana

This study sought to establish the effect of Concept Cartoons on Kindergarten Pupils’ Numeracy and Science Performance at a demonstration primary school in Sagnarigu-Tamale, Ghana using the experimental research design. The population of the study was 100 KG-2 A and B Pupils in the school. A purposive sampling technique was used to select an intact class of 58 pupils that had difficulty in participation and performance in natural science and numeracy. A pre-test was conducted to determine the initial performance of pupils before the intervention that was done through teaching with the support of the concept cartoons. The analysis of the first two objectives involved mean scores and standard deviation. Pre-test and post-test scores were analysed to address the two objectives. The study established that the use of concept cartoons significantly improved the pupils’ achievement in natural science and numeracy lessons. Therefore, the use of concept cartoons as a teaching aid is a powerful approach to improve the performance of pupils in sciences and numeracy. The study recommended that teachers of sciences and numeracy in early primary education ought to use the concept cartoon approach in order to improve the performance of pupils in the su

Association between socioeconomic status and academic performance in children and adolescents with chronic kidney disease

BackgroundLower socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with lower academic achievement; however, this relationship is understudied in children with chronic kidney disease (CKD). This study examined the relationship between SES and academic performance in children and adolescents with CKD.MethodsA total of 377 participants aged 6–18 years with CKD stages 1–5 (n = 199), on dialysis (n = 43) or with a kidney transplant (n = 135) were recruited. Five SES measures and a composite SES index were examined for associations with parent-rated average or above average academic performance in numeracy and literacy using multivariable logistic regression.ResultsParticipants’ median age was 12.6 years (IQR 8.9–15.5). Adjusted odds ratios (aOR) (95%CI) for better performance in numeracy and literacy, respectively, were 0.71 (0.44–1.15) and 0.75 (0.45–1.23) for children whose caregivers had lower educational attainment; 0.46 (0.26–0.80) and 0.53 (0.30–0.93) for lower household income; 0.52 (0.32–0.85) and 0.44 (0.26–0.73) for caregivers who were unemployed; 0.68 (0.41–1.12) and 0.59 (0.35–1.00) for caregivers with poor self-rated financial status; and 0.93 (0.53–1.64) and 1.00 (0.56–1.79) for caregivers who did not own their own home. Compared with the highest SES index quartile, the aORs for better performance by SES quartile in descending order were 1.24 (0.60–2.54), 0.76 (0.37–1.58), and 0.39 (0.18–0.86) for numeracy and 0.88 (0.41–1.85), 0.77 (0.35–1.66), and 0.32 (0.14–0.72) for literacy. No interactions were identified between SES and CKD stage, child age, or gender.ConclusionsAcross all CKD stages, children from lower SES families are less likely to perform well in literacy and numeracy than those from higher SES households.Graphical abstractA higher resolution version of the Graphical abstract is available as Supplementary information