Fiona Simmons

Brief report—Phonological awareness and visual-spatial sketchpad functioning predict early arithmetic attainment: Evidence from a longitudinal study

This study examines the relationships between phonological awareness, visual-spatial sketchpad (VSSP) functioning and arithmetic attainment in young children. A sample of 42 children had their VSSP functioning and phonological awareness assessed when they were 5 years old. Approximately 12 months later their nonverbal reasoning, vocabulary, arithmetic, and reading attainment were assessed. Together, VSSP functioning, phonological awareness, vocabulary, and nonverbal reasoning predicted 41% of the variation in the childrens arithmetic attainment. Only phonological awareness and VSSP functioning were significant independent predictors. In contrast, only phonological awareness was a significant independent predictor of reading attainment. These findings are consistent with phonological awareness influencing both the development of reading and arithmetic, whilst VSSP functioning only impacts on arithmetic development.

Different Components of Working Memory Have Different Relationships with Different Mathematical Skills.

A comprehensive working memory battery and tests of mathematical skills were administered to 90 children-41 in Year 1 (5-6 years of age) and 49 in Year 3 (7-8 years of age). Working memory could explain statistically significant variance in number writing, magnitude judgment, and single-digit arithmetic, but the different components of working memory had different relationships with the different skills. Visual-spatial sketchpad (VSSP) functioning predicted unique variance in magnitude judgments and number writing. Central executive functioning explained unique variance in the addition accuracy of Year 1 children. The unique variance explained in Year 3 multiplication explained by phonological loop functioning just missed conventional levels of significance (p=.06). The results are consistent with the VSSP having a role in the development of number writing and magnitude judgments but a lesser role in early arithmetic.

An evaluation of wordshark in the classroom

The aim of this study was to evaluate the utility of Wordshark, a multisensory drill-and-practice computer program designed to improve childrens spelling and word recognition skills. A 20-item questionnaire on the use and effectiveness of the program was sent to 1312 schools in the UK that had purchased the program, and 403 replies were received (31% response rate). The results indicated that the program was being used in both primary schools and secondary schools. In the majority of schools the program was being used with SEN pupils, and very frequently it was incorporated within Individual Education Plans (IEPs). Wordshark was principally used to practice words, to introduce new words, to find out whether children can read and spell particular words, to reinforce teaching points, and as a reward for effort and/or good work. The children were reported to enjoy using the program and almost all (96%) of respondents stated that children were better motivated when using the program than when doing other classroom work. In the vast majority of cases, significant improvements in childrens reading and spelling were reported. The findings are discussed in relation to the theory and practice of computer-assisted learning.

Identifying the cognitive predictors of early counting and calculation skills: Evidence from a longitudinal study.

The extent to which phonological, visual-spatial short-term memory (STM), and nonsymbolic quantitative skills support the development of counting and calculation skills was examined in this 14-month longitudinal study of 125 children. Initial assessments were made when the children were 4 years 8 months old. Phonological awareness, visual-spatial STM, and nonsymbolic approximate discrimination predicted growth in early calculation skills.These results suggest that both the approximate number system and domain-general phonological and visual-spatial skills support early calculation. In contrast, only performance on a small nonsymbolic quantity discrimination task (where the presented quantities were always within the subitizing range) predicted growth in cardinal counting skills. These results suggest that the development of counting and the development of calculation are supported by different cognitive abilities.

The impact of the development of verbal recoding on children's early writing skills

BACKGROUND The spontaneous recoding of visual stimuli into a phonological code to aid short-term retention has been associated with progress in learning to read (Palmer, 2000b). AIM This study examined whether there was a comparable association with the development of writing skills. SAMPLE One hundred eight children (64 males) in the second year of the UK educational system (mean age 5:8 years, SD = 4 months) were recruited to the study. METHODS The children participated in tasks to assess their general cognitive abilities, reading skills, and their predominant short-term memory (STM) strategy for retaining visually presented stimuli. On the basis of their memory profile, children were classified as either engaging in verbal recoding of the stimuli (N = 31) or not (N = 77). Writing performance was indexed as alphabet transcription, spelling, and early text production skills. RESULTS Children classified as verbal recoders demonstrated better spelling performance and produced more individual letters, words, and T-units in their texts than did children who persisted with a visual memory strategy. In contrast, the alphabet transcription abilities of the groups did not differ. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that variance in text production skills was associated with STM capacity and that moreover, significant independent variance in the number of words and T-units in the childrens texts was predicted by individual differences in verbal recoding abilities. CONCLUSION The results suggest that the development of verbal recoding skills in STM may play a role in childrens early progress in writing, particularly their text generation skills.

The differential recruitment of short-term memory and executive functions during time, number, and length perception: An individual differences approach

Developmental, behavioural, and neurological similarities in the processing of different magnitudes (time, number, space) support the existence of a common magnitude processing system (e.g., a theory of magnitude, ATOM). It is, however, unclear whether the recruitment of wider cognitive resources (short-term memory, STM; and executive function) during magnitude processing is similar across magnitude domains or is domain specific. The current study used an individual differences approach to examine the relationship between STM, executive function, and magnitude processing. In two experiments, participants completed number, length, and duration bisection tasks to assess magnitude processing and tasks that have been shown to assess STM span and executive component processes. The results suggest that the recruitment of STM and executive resources differed for the different magnitude domains. Duration perception was associated with access, inhibition, and STM span. Length processing was associated with updating, and number processing was associated with access to semantic memory. For duration and length, greater difficulty in the magnitude judgement task resulted in more relationships to STM and executive function. It is suggested that duration perception may be more demanding of STM and executive resources because it is represented sequentially, unlike length and number which can be represented nonsequentially.

Exploring the relationship between executive functions and self-reported media-multitasking in young adults

ABSTRACT Media-multitasking involves simultaneous engagement with information streams from multiple media sources, and is most prevalent in young adults. Heavy media-multitasking has been associated with differential performance on tasks involving attentional control and working memory relative to light media-multitasking. The aim of the present study was to systematically investigate relationships between executive functions and self-reported media-multitasking. Healthy participants (N = 112, aged 18–25, male N = 36) completed a battery of 10 traditional executive function tasks, that included assessments of attentional inhibition, response inhibition, working memory, and cognitive flexibility. Scores on the individual executive function tasks were correlated against frequency of self-reported media-multitasking, but no significant relationships were found. Trait anxiety, however, was found to be significantly associated with greater frequency of self-reported media-multitasking. The present study found no evidence of a relationship between the frequency of self-reported media-multitasking and executive functioning. The possible reasons for this are discussed.