Cognitive addition: A short longitudinal study of strategy choice and speed-of-processing differences in normal and mathematically disabled children.

Abstract

This study provided a longitudinal assessment of skill development in addition for 26 normal and 12 mathematically disabled first- or second-grade children. At the first time of measurement, the children solved 40 simple addition problems. Ten months later, all subjects were readministered the addition task and a measure of working memory resources. Across times of measurement, the normal group showed increased reliance on memory retrieval and decreased reliance on counting to solve the addition problems, as well as an increase in speed of counting and of retrieving addition facts from long-term memory. The math-disabled group showed no reliable change in the mix of problem-solving strategies or in the rate of executing the counting or memory retrieval strategies. Finally, reliable differences, favoring the normal group, were found for the index of working memory resources. A recent large-scale study found that more school-age children showed some form of mathematical disability than some form of reading disability (Badian, 1983). Yet, "comparatively, disorders of mathematics among the learning disabled remain relatively neglected " (Sutaria, 1985, p. 359). In fact, few empirical

Cited by (23)

1. Short-term memory, working memory, and executive functioning in preschoolers: Longitudinal predictors of mathematical achievement at age 7 years
   Bull, Rebecca, Espy, Kimberly Andrews, Wiebe, Sandra A. · 2008 · Developmental Neuropsychology
2. Basic numerical skills in children with mathematics learning disabilities: A comparison of symbolic vs non-symbolic number magnitude processing
   Rousselle, Laurence, Noël, Marie-Pascale · 2007 · Cognition
3. The Relationship Between Working Memory and Mathematical Problem Solving in Children at Risk and Not at Risk for Serious Math Difficulties.
   Swanson, H. Lee, Beebe-Frankenberger, Margaret · 2004 · Journal of Educational Psychology
4. The Prevention, Identification, and Cognitive Determinants of Math Difficulty.
   Fuchs, Lynn S., Compton, Donald L., Fuchs, Douglas, Paulsen, Kimberly, Bryant, Joan D., Hamlett, Carol L. · 2005 · Journal of Educational Psychology
5. Children's mathematical development: Research and practical applications.
   Geary, David C. · 1994

See all 393