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Mathematical Ability (mathematical + ability)
Selected AbstractsAdaptive training leads to sustained enhancement of poor working memory in childrenDEVELOPMENTAL SCIENCE, Issue 4 2009Joni Holmes Working memory plays a crucial role in supporting learning, with poor progress in reading and mathematics characterizing children with low memory skills. This study investigated whether these problems can be overcome by a training program designed to boost working memory. Children with low working memory skills were assessed on measures of working memory, IQ and academic attainment before and after training on either adaptive or non-adaptive versions of the program. Adaptive training that taxed working memory to its limits was associated with substantial and sustained gains in working memory, with age-appropriate levels achieved by the majority of children. Mathematical ability also improved significantly 6 months following adaptive training. These findings indicate that common impairments in working memory and associated learning difficulties may be overcome with this behavioral treatment. [source] Mathematical development in spina bifidaDEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES RESEARCH REVIEW, Issue 1 2009Lianne H. English Abstract Spina bifida (SB) is a neural tube defect diagnosed before or at birth that is associated with a high incidence of math disability often without co-occurring difficulties in reading. SB provides an interesting population within which to examine the development of mathematical abilities and disability across the lifespan and in relation to the deficits in visual-spatial processing that are also associated with the disorder. An overview of math and its cognitive correlates in preschoolers, school-age children and adults with SB is presented including the findings from a longitudinal study linking early executive functions in infancy to the development of later preschool and school age math skills. These findings are discussed in relation to socio-historical perspectives on math education and implications for intervention and directions for further research are presented. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. Dev Disabil Res Rev 2009;15:28,34. [source] ,Assessing mathematical abilities in elementary schools*DEVELOPMENTAL MEDICINE & CHILD NEUROLOGY, Issue 11 2006José A Bastos No abstract is available for this article. [source] Mathematical skills in Williams syndrome: Insight into the importance of underlying representationsDEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES RESEARCH REVIEW, Issue 1 2009Kirsten O'Hearn Abstract Williams syndrome (WS) is a developmental disorder characterized by relatively spared verbal skills and severe visuospatial deficits. Serious impairments in mathematics have also been reported. This article reviews the evidence on mathematical ability in WS, focusing on the integrity and developmental path of two fundamental representations, namely those that support judgments of "how much" (i.e., magnitude) and "how many" (i.e., number of objects). Studies on magnitude or "number line" representation in WS suggest that this core aspect of mathematical ability, is atypical in WS throughout development, causing differences on some but not all aspects of math. Studies on the representation of small numbers of objects in WS are also reviewed, given the proposed links between this type of representation and early number skills such as counting. In WS, representation appears to be relatively typical in infancy but limitations become evident by maturity, suggesting a truncated developmental trajectory. The math deficits in WS are consistent with neurological data indicating decreased gray matter and hypoactivation in parietal areas in WS, as these areas are implicated in mathematical processing as well as visuospatial abilities and visual attention. In spite of their deficits in core mathematical representations, people with WS can learn many mathematical skills and show some strengths, such as reading numbers. Thus individuals with WS may be able to take advantage of their relatively strong verbal skills when learning some mathematical tasks. The uneven mathematical abilities found in persons with WS provide insight into not only appropriate remediation for this developmental disorder but also into the precursors of mathematical ability, their neural substrates, and their developmental importance. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. Dev Disabil Res Rev 2009;15:11,20. [source] Comparing Multidimensional and Unidimensional Proficiency Classifications: Multidimensional IRT as a Diagnostic AidJOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL MEASUREMENT, Issue 3 2003Cindy M. Walker This research examined the effect of scoring items thought to be multidimensional using a unidimensional model and demonstrated the use of multidimensional item response theory (MIRT) as a diagnostic tool. Using real data from a large-scale mathematics test, previously shown to function differentially in favor of proficient writers, the difference in proficiency classifications was explored when a two-versus one-dimensional confirmatory model was fit. The estimate of ability obtained when using the unidimensional model was considered to represent general mathematical ability. Under the two-dimensional model, one of the two dimensions was also considered to represent general mathematical ability. The second dimension was considered to represent the ability to communicate in mathematics. The resulting pattern of mismatched proficiency classifications suggested that examinees found to have less mathematics communication ability were more likely to be placed in a lower general mathematics proficiency classification under the unidimensional than multidimensional model. Results and implications are discussed. [source] An Empirical Investigation Demonstrating the Multidimensional DIF Paradigm: A Cognitive Explanation for DIFJOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL MEASUREMENT, Issue 2 2001Cindy M. Walker Differential Item Functioning (DIF) is traditionally used to identify different item performance patterns between intact groups, most commonly involving race or sex comparisons. This study advocates expanding the utility of DIF as a step in construct validation. Rather than grouping examinees based on cultural differences, the reference and focal groups are chosen from two extremes along a distinct cognitive dimension that is hypothesized to supplement the dominant latent trait being measured. Specifically, this study investigates DIF between proficient and non-proficient fourth- and seventh-grade writers on open-ended mathematics test items that require students to communicate about mathematics. It is suggested that the occurrence of DIF in this situation actually enhances, rather than detracts from, the construct validity of the test because, according to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), mathematical communication is an important component of mathematical ability, the dominant construct being assessed. However, the presence of DIF influences the validity of inferences that can be made from test scores and suggests that two scores should be reported, one for general mathematical ability and one for mathematical communication. The fact that currently only one test score is reported, a simple composite of scores on multiple-choice and open-ended items, may lead to incorrect decisions being made about examinees. [source] Brain Microstructure Is Related to Math Ability in Children With Fetal Alcohol Spectrum DisorderALCOHOLISM, Issue 2 2010Catherine Lebel Background:, Children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) often demonstrate a variety of cognitive deficits, but mathematical ability seems to be particularly affected by prenatal alcohol exposure. Parietal brain regions have been implicated in both functional and structural studies of mathematical ability in healthy individuals, but little is known about the brain structure underlying mathematical deficits in children with FASD. The goal of this study was to use diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to investigate the relationship between mathematical skill and brain white matter structure in children with FASD. Methods:, Twenty-one children aged 5 to 13 years diagnosed with FASD underwent DTI on a 1.5-T MRI scanner and cognitive assessments including the Woodcock-Johnson Quantitative Concepts test. Voxel-based analysis was conducted by normalizing subject images to a template and correlating fractional anisotropy (FA) values across the brain white matter with age-standardized math scores. Results:, Voxel-based analysis revealed 4 clusters with significant correlations between FA and math scores: 2 positively-correlated clusters in the left parietal region, 1 positively-correlated cluster in the left cerebellum, and 1 negatively-correlated cluster in the bilateral brainstem. Diffusion tractography identified the specific white matter tracts passing through these clusters, namely the left superior longitudinal fasciculus, left corticospinal tract and body of the corpus callosum, middle cerebellar peduncle, and bilateral projection fibers including the anterior and posterior limbs of the internal capsule. Conclusions:, These results identify 4 key regions related to mathematical ability and provide a link between brain microstructure and cognitive skills in children with FASD. Given previous findings in typically developing children and those with other abnormal conditions, our results highlight the consistent importance of the left parietal area for mathematical tasks across various populations, and also demonstrate other regions that may be specific to mathematical processing in children with FASD. [source] | ||||||||||