title: Arithmetic strategy development and its domain-specific and domain-general cognitive correlates: a longitudinal study in children with persistent mathematical learning difficulties.
abstract: Deficits in arithmetic fact retrieval constitute the hallmark of children with mathematical learning difficulties (MLD). It remains, however, unclear which cognitive deficits underpin these difficulties in arithmetic fact retrieval. Many prior studies defined MLD by considering low achievement criteria and not by additionally taking the persistence of the MLD into account. Therefore, the present longitudinal study contrasted children with persistent MLD (MLD-p; mean age: 9 years 2 months) and typically developing (TD) children (mean age: 9 years 6 months) at three time points, to explore whether differences in arithmetic strategy development were associated with differences in numerical magnitude processing, working memory and phonological processing. Our longitudinal data revealed that children with MLD-p had persistent arithmetic fact retrieval deficits at each time point. Children with MLD-p showed persistent impairments in symbolic, but not in nonsymbolic, magnitude processing at each time point. The two groups differed in phonological processing, but not in working memory. Our data indicate that both domain-specific and domain-general cognitive abilities contribute to individual differences in children's arithmetic strategy development, and that the symbolic processing of numerical magnitudes might be a particular risk factor for children with MLD-p.
authors.affiliation: Parenting and Special Education Research Group, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leopold Vanderkelenstraat 32, Box 3765, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium. Electronic address: kiran.vanbinst@ppw.kuleuven.be.
authors.forename: Kiran
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vanbinst
authors.affiliation: Parenting and Special Education Research Group, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leopold Vanderkelenstraat 32, Box 3765, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Pol
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ghesquière
authors.affiliation: Parenting and Special Education Research Group, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leopold Vanderkelenstraat 32, Box 3765, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Bert
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: De Smedt
mesh_terms: D000124:Achievement; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D003071:Cognition; D060705:Dyscalculia / Q000523:psychology*; D056344:Executive Function; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000523:psychology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term
keywords: Arithmetic strategy development; Mathematical learning difficulties; Numerical magnitude processing; Phonological processing; Working memory