[The impact of precursors on reading, spelling, and arithmetic at school 2nd grade].
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to determine the role of precursors in the prediction of school achievement. 372 children were followed from health examination for school entry to the second grade.


METHODS
Preschool skills assessed by a screening of developmental stage (SOPESS) were related to second-grade reading (ELFE 1-6), spelling (DERET 1-2+), and arithmetic (DEMAT 1+) by correlation and regression analyses.


RESULTS
Correlations between numeracy and math abilities (r=0,340) met with our expectations as also did those between verbal abilities and spelling (r=0,276). The subtests of attention and counting (SOPESS) contribute significantly to an explanation of the variance in school achievement. Numeracy predicts math achievement, and verbal memory contributes to school achievement in math and spelling.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings support the contribution of visual selective attention, phonological memory, and verbal abilities to the development of reading, spelling, and math at primary school.
Zentrum für Klinische Psychologie und Rehabilitation, Universität Bremen, Germany. daseking@uni-bremen.de
M
M
Daseking
F
F
Petermann
D000124:Achievement; D001076:Aptitude; D001288:Attention; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000175:diagnosis*; D060705:Dyscalculia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004410:Dyslexia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D007805:Language Development Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D010700:Phonetics; D012572:School Health Services; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D014706:Verbal Learning