Connections Between Mathematics and Reading Development: Numerical Cognition Mediates Relations Between Foundational Competencies and Later Academic Outcomes

Mercedes Spencer; Lynn S. Fuchs; David C. Geary; Douglas Fuchs

doi:10.1037/edu0000670

Connections Between Mathematics and Reading Development: Numerical Cognition Mediates Relations Between Foundational Competencies and Later Academic Outcomes

Mercedes Spencer^*, Lynn S. Fuchs, David C. Geary, Douglas Fuchs

^*Corresponding author for this work

Communication Sciences and Disorders

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

18 Scopus citations

Abstract

We examined longitudinal relations between 1st-grade cognitive predictors (early nonverbal reasoning,processing speed, listening comprehension, working memory, calculation skill, word-problemsolving, word-reading fluency, attentive behavior, and numerical cognition) and 2nd-grade academicoutcomes (calculations, word-problem solving, and word reading) in 370 children (M_age = 6.55 years,SD_age = 0.33 years at the start of the study) who were identified as at-risk or not-at-risk for mathematicsdisability. Path analysis mediation models revealed that numerical cognition, assessed at an intermediarytimepoint, mediated the effects of processing speed, working memory, calculation skill,word-problem solving, and attentive behavior on all 3 outcomes. Findings indicate that multiple earlydomain-general cognitive abilities are related to later mathematics and reading outcomes and that numericalcognition processes, which may track ease of forming symbol-concept associations, predictlater performance across both academic domains.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	273-288
Number of pages	16
Journal	Journal of Educational Psychology
Volume	114
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000670
State	Published - 2022

Funding

This research was supported by Awards 2 P20 HD075443, 1 R01HD097772, 3R01 HD044073, 3R01 HD044073-14S1, and Core Grant U54HD083211 from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to Vanderbilt University. David C. Gearywas supported in part by DRL-1659133 from the National ScienceFoundation. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and doesnot necessarily represent the official views of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the National Institutes of Health, or the National Science Foundation.

Keywords

Calculations
Longitudinal development
Mediation
Reading
Word problems

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Education
Developmental and Educational Psychology

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1037/edu0000670

Cite this

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title = "Connections Between Mathematics and Reading Development: Numerical Cognition Mediates Relations Between Foundational Competencies and Later Academic Outcomes",

abstract = "We examined longitudinal relations between 1st-grade cognitive predictors (early nonverbal reasoning,processing speed, listening comprehension, working memory, calculation skill, word-problemsolving, word-reading fluency, attentive behavior, and numerical cognition) and 2nd-grade academicoutcomes (calculations, word-problem solving, and word reading) in 370 children (Mage = 6.55 years,SDage = 0.33 years at the start of the study) who were identified as at-risk or not-at-risk for mathematicsdisability. Path analysis mediation models revealed that numerical cognition, assessed at an intermediarytimepoint, mediated the effects of processing speed, working memory, calculation skill,word-problem solving, and attentive behavior on all 3 outcomes. Findings indicate that multiple earlydomain-general cognitive abilities are related to later mathematics and reading outcomes and that numericalcognition processes, which may track ease of forming symbol-concept associations, predictlater performance across both academic domains.",

keywords = "Calculations, Longitudinal development, Mediation, Reading, Word problems",

author = "Mercedes Spencer and Fuchs, {Lynn S.} and Geary, {David C.} and Douglas Fuchs",

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year = "2022",

doi = "10.1037/edu0000670",

language = "English (US)",

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pages = "273--288",

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AU - Fuchs, Douglas

PY - 2022

Y1 - 2022

N2 - We examined longitudinal relations between 1st-grade cognitive predictors (early nonverbal reasoning,processing speed, listening comprehension, working memory, calculation skill, word-problemsolving, word-reading fluency, attentive behavior, and numerical cognition) and 2nd-grade academicoutcomes (calculations, word-problem solving, and word reading) in 370 children (Mage = 6.55 years,SDage = 0.33 years at the start of the study) who were identified as at-risk or not-at-risk for mathematicsdisability. Path analysis mediation models revealed that numerical cognition, assessed at an intermediarytimepoint, mediated the effects of processing speed, working memory, calculation skill,word-problem solving, and attentive behavior on all 3 outcomes. Findings indicate that multiple earlydomain-general cognitive abilities are related to later mathematics and reading outcomes and that numericalcognition processes, which may track ease of forming symbol-concept associations, predictlater performance across both academic domains.

AB - We examined longitudinal relations between 1st-grade cognitive predictors (early nonverbal reasoning,processing speed, listening comprehension, working memory, calculation skill, word-problemsolving, word-reading fluency, attentive behavior, and numerical cognition) and 2nd-grade academicoutcomes (calculations, word-problem solving, and word reading) in 370 children (Mage = 6.55 years,SDage = 0.33 years at the start of the study) who were identified as at-risk or not-at-risk for mathematicsdisability. Path analysis mediation models revealed that numerical cognition, assessed at an intermediarytimepoint, mediated the effects of processing speed, working memory, calculation skill,word-problem solving, and attentive behavior on all 3 outcomes. Findings indicate that multiple earlydomain-general cognitive abilities are related to later mathematics and reading outcomes and that numericalcognition processes, which may track ease of forming symbol-concept associations, predictlater performance across both academic domains.

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Connections Between Mathematics and Reading Development: Numerical Cognition Mediates Relations Between Foundational Competencies and Later Academic Outcomes

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

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