Pieter Stock

Detecting Children With Arithmetic Disabilities From Kindergarten: Evidence From a 3-Year Longitudinal Study on the Role of Preparatory Arithmetic Abilities

In a 3-year longitudinal study, 471 children were classified, based on their performances on arithmetic tests in first and second grade, as having persistent arithmetic disabilities (AD), persistent low achieving (LA), persistent typical achieving, inconsistent arithmetic disabilities (DF1), or inconsistent low achieving in arithmetic. Significant differences in the performances on the magnitude comparison in kindergarten (at age 5—6) were found between the AD and LA and between the AD and DF1 groups. Furthermore, the percentage of true-positive AD children (at age 7—8) correctly diagnosed in kindergarten by combination of procedural counting, conceptual counting, and magnitude comparison tasks was 87.50%. When composing clinical samples, researchers should pay attention when stipulating restrictive or lenient cutoffs for arithmetic disabilities and select children based on their scores in 2 consecutive years, because the results of studies on persistent low achievers or children with inconsistent disabilities cannot be generalized to children with persistent arithmetic disabilities.

Predicting Arithmetic Abilities: The Role of Preparatory Arithmetic Markers and Intelligence.

Arithmetic abilities acquired in kindergarten are found to be strong predictors for later deficient arithmetic abilities. This longitudinal study (N = 684) was designed to examine if it was possible to predict the level of childrens arithmetic abilities in first and second grade from their performance on preparatory arithmetic abilities in kindergarten. Furthermore, the role of intelligence in the assessment of developing mathematical reasoning and numerical facility was investigated. The results showed that good predictions of beginning arithmetic abilities can be made. Even in the long term, it was possible to make predictions of later arithmetic performances, especially for the domain of arithmetical reasoning. Logic thinking abilities such as seriation and classification and counting knowledge may be assessed in kindergarten as possible markers for at-risk development. Furthermore, it is important to take into account intelligence when looking for useful predictors of arithmetical reasoning.

Classification, Seriation, and Counting in Grades 1, 2, and 3 as Two-Year Longitudinal Predictors for Low Achieving in Numerical Facility and Arithmetical Achievement?

Previous research stresses the importance of seriation, classification, and counting abilities that should be assessed in kindergarten, when looking for crucial predictors of mathematical learning disabilities in Grade 1. This study examines (n = 158) two-year-long predictive relationships between childrens seriation, classification, procedural counting knowledge, and conceptual counting knowledge, and their numerical facility and arithmetical achievement in Grades 3, 4, and 5. Path analyses reveal a relationship between procedural counting knowledge in Grades l and 3 and numerical facility, and between conceptual counting knowledge in Grade l and arithmetical achievement in Grades 1 and 2. In addition, procedural counting knowledge correlates with seriation, and conceptual counting knowledge correlates with classification as well as with seriation in Grade 1. Clinicians are encouraged to select early arithmetic subtests with caution when assessing and predicting arithmetic and arithmetical disabilities.

Screening for mathematical disabilities in kindergarten

Objective: This article is devoted to the potential early markers for mathematical learning disabilities in kindergarten in order to prevent children from falling further behind and from developing unrecognized mathematical disabilities later on. Methods: Performances in preparatory arithmetic tasks were studied in 361 kindergartners focusing on differences between children at risk for mathematical disabilities and children who were at least moderately achieving in numerical arithmetic tasks. Results: Evidence was found for several markers in kindergarten. Children at risk had lower scores on procedural counting knowledge, conceptual counting knowledge, seriation, classification, conservation and magnitude comparison tasks. Based on these kindergarten abilities, 77% of children who were at risk for mathematical disabilities could be detected. Conclusion: Procedural and conceptual counting knowledge, seriation and classification skills and magnitude comparison abilities could possibly serve as powerful early screeners in the detection of mathematical disabilities.