Riikka Mononen

A pilot study of the effects of RightStart instruction on early numeracy skills of children with specific language impairment

This pilot study investigated the effects of an early numeracy program, RightStart Mathematics (RS), on Finnish kindergartners with specific language impairment (SLI). The study applied a pre-test-instruction-post-test design. The children with SLI (n=9, Mage=82.11 months) received RS instruction two to three times a week for 40 min over seven months, which replaced their business-as-usual mathematics instruction. Mathematical skill development among children with SLI was examined at the individual and group levels, and compared to the performance of normal language-achieving age peers (n=32, Mage=74.16 months) who received business-as-usual kindergarten mathematics instruction. The children with SLI began kindergarten with significantly weaker early numeracy skills compared to their peers. Immediately after the instruction phase, there was no significant difference between the groups in counting skills. In Grade 1, the children with SLI performed similarly to their peers in addition and subtraction skills (accuracy) and multi-digit number comparison, but showed weaker skills in arithmetical reasoning and in matching spoken and printed multi-digit numbers. Our pilot study showed encouraging signs that the early numeracy skills of children with SLI can be improved successfully in a kindergarten small-classroom setting with systematic instruction emphasizing visualization.

Thinking Skills Intervention for Low-Achieving First Graders.

Abstract This paper reports the results of the improving thinking skills (ITS-1) intervention study on the thinking skills of low-achieving first graders. The intervention programme consists of 12 lessons, each lasting for 45 min. Lessons offer enriched-discovery learning activities and tasks to be solved through inductive reasoning. We used a quasi-experimental approach, with pre-, immediate post- and delayed post-tests conducted among intervention and control groups. The following groups were formed from a total of 149 first graders on the basis of the thinking skills measure: low-achieving (<−1 SD) intervention group (LowI) (n = 9) and two control groups, comprising both low-achieving (LowC) (n = 18) and well-performing (≥−1 SD) groups (WellC) (n = 122). Thinking skills, mathematical skills, listening comprehension skills and reading fluency were measured. The results showed that in the beginning of the study, there were differences in thinking skills, mathematical skills, listening comprehension skills and reading fluency between the LowI and WellC groups, but the LowI group was able to reach the level of their well-performing peers at the end of the intervention in all measures. The discussion focuses on the implications of intervention research, educational practice and responsiveness to intervention.

The effects of educational computer game on low-performing children’s early numeracy skills – an intervention study in a preschool setting

Abstract The aim of this study was to determine the effects of an educational computer game, Lola’s World, on low-performing children’s early numeracy skills. Four preschools with 33 children from families of low socio-economic status (M age = 5.5 years) took part in this study. Of the 33 children, 23 were split randomly into two groups: an intervention group playing a numeracy game (Lola’s World) and an active control group playing an early reading skills game (Lola’s ABC party). The remaining 10 children served as a passive control group. The intervention phase lasted three weeks, during which time the children played the games daily for about 15 min. The children’s numeracy skills were measured using the Early Numeracy Test. Those children (n = 22) who exhibited low numeracy (i.e. at risk for learning difficulties in mathematics) were included in the analyses. The three groups did not differ in terms of parental educational levels or home languages. They were comparable in terms of nonverbal reasoning and the amount of time spent playing. The Lola’s World group improved its early numeracy performance from pretest to post-test. No between-group differences were found. The results are discussed in relation to providing game-based support for low-performing preschoolers.

Early Mathematics Skill Development, Low Performance, and Parental Support in the Finnish Context

In this chapter, the four-factor model of mathematics skills development in children aged 5–8 years is introduced with the aim of describing the most essential skills for later math learning. The early signs of mathematical learning difficulties are also discussed. Additionally, initial findings from a study on the role of parents’ education and values toward mathematics in children’s mathematics skills and interest, from kindergarten to the first grade, are presented. Our results highlight the complex interrelations between parent and child factors in the development of early mathematics skills. Regarding the ways in which adults could support their children’s learning of basic mathematics skills in non-school environments, two Finnish web services for teachers and parents (LukiMat, ThinkMath) will be briefly described.

A Mathematics Intervention for Low-Performing Finnish Second Graders: Findings from a Pilot Study.

Evidence-based practice is highly appreciated and demanded in the field of education, especially in relation to extra support provided for children struggling with learning. Currently, there is a lack of intervention studies in the area of mathematics. This study aimed to investigate the effects of a short mathematics intervention programme on second graders (Mage = 8 years, 2 months) with low performance in mathematics, in a quasi-experimental, intervention-control setting. A group of low-performing second graders (LOWi, n = 11) was taught twice a week for eight weeks on the mathematics topics of number word sequence skills, counting skills and conceptual place value knowledge. The intervention’s effectiveness was examined by comparing the mathematics performance of the LOWi group to those of two groups consisting of low performing (LOWc, n = 13) and typically performing children (TYPc, n = 64), who followed their business-as-usual mathematics instruction. The LOWi group made significant improvements in mathematics but did not show significantly better gains, compared to the LOWc and TYPc groups, immediately and three months after the intervention. We discuss the implications for educational practice and intervention research.