E.C.D.M. van Lieshout

Individual Differences in Early Numeracy: The Role of Executive Functions and Subitizing.

In this study, the question was raised how basic cognitive processes are related to math abilities and how it can be best determined which children are at risk for developing those disabilities. The role of four distinct basic processes in the development of early mathematics was investigated: executive functions, fluid intelligence, subitizing, and language. The counting skills of 115 five- and six-year-old children were also assessed. The results showed that both executive functions and number sense were important factors in childrens development of counting skills. Both executive functions and subitizing explained a significant part of variance in childrens counting skills. IQ scores could not add further explanation to the variance in early math. The implications of this study are that it seems promising to use the concept of executive functions for the early identification of children at risk for math learning difficulties.

Longitudinal development of number line estimation and mathematics performance in primary school children

Childrens ability to relate number to a continuous quantity abstraction visualized as a number line is widely accepted to be predictive of mathematics achievement. However, a debate has emerged with respect to how childrens placements are distributed on this number line across development. In the current study, different models were applied to childrens longitudinal number placement data to get more insight into the development of number line representations in kindergarten and early primary school years. In addition, longitudinal developmental relations between number line placements and mathematical achievement, measured with a national test of mathematics, were investigated using cross-lagged panel modeling. A group of 442 children participated in a 3-year longitudinal study (ages 5-8 years) in which they completed a number-to-position task every 6 months. Individual number line placements were fitted to various models, of which a one-anchor power model provided the best fit for many of the placements at a younger age (5 or 6 years) and a two-anchor power model provided better fit for many of the children at an older age (7 or 8 years). The number of children who made linear placements also grew with age. Cross-lagged panel analyses indicated that the best fit was provided with a model in which number line acuity and mathematics performance were mutually predictive of each other rather than models in which one ability predicted the other in a non-reciprocal way. This indicates that number line acuity should not be seen as a predictor of math but that both skills influence each other during the developmental process.

Influence of instruction in mathematics for low performing students on strategy use

Effects of two subtraction instruction types for low achieving children were compared. The first was based on constructivist ideas. The second was more or less traditional but did include interaction opportunities comparable to those in constructivist classrooms. Sixteen students (eight in each condition) with an average age of 10.5 years were trained during 34 lessons. Results showed no performance differences between the two groups on the subtraction problems instructed. There was a performance advantage for the traditional group on transfer problems without regrouping. The constructivist group used more different strategies but was not able to use this bigger repertory in a flexible way; instead, they used their strategies rather randomly. These findings pose questions on the usefulness of constructivist teaching in mathematics for low performers.

Failure mode and effect analysis in interhospital transport of critically ill patients: a tool to design checklists for handovers in the mobile intensive care unit

The complex interhospital transport of critically ill patients bears multiple risks for patient safety, including handovers and reliance on mobile medical equipment. The hypothesis of the present study was that multiple handovers of both equipment and patients in critical care transport would demonstrate omissions and a failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) would unravel its safety priorities.