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Calculation Abilities in Young Children with Different Patterns of Cognitive Functioning

Nancy C. Jordan is an assistant professor of educational psychology at Rutgers University. She received her doctorate in human development from Harvard University. Her research interests include learning disabilities, early development of mathematics skills, and cognitive development.

Susan Cohen Levine

Susan Cohen Levine is a professor of psychology at the University of Chicago. She received her doctorate in experimental psychology from MIT. Her research interests include developmental neuropsychology, early development of mathematics skills, and cognitive development.

Janellen Huttenlocher

Janellen Huttenlocher is the William S. Gray Professor at the University of Chicago. She received her doctorate in cognitive psychology from Harvard University. Her research interests include spatial cognition, memory, vocabulary development, and early development of mathematics skills. Address: Nancy C. Jordan, Graduate School of Education, 10 Seminary Pl., Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08903. e-mail: njordan@zodiac. rutgers.edu

This study examined the arithmetic calculation abilities of kindergarten and first-grade children with different patterns of cognitive functioning: children with low language but adequate spatial abilities (Low Language; n = 33, male = 42%); children with low spatial but adequate language abilities (Low Spatial; n = 21, male = 42%); children with general delays (Delayed; n = 21, male = 48%); and children with no language or spatial impairments (Nonimpaired; n = 33, male = 48%). Each child was given a series of addition and subtraction calculations presented as nonverbal problems, story problems, and number-fact problems. Story problems and number-fact problems require mastery of conventional verbal symbols, whereas nonverbal problems do not. The findings show that nonverbal, story, and number-fact problem formats are differentially sensitive to variation in cognitive ability. The Low Language group performed significantly worse than the Nonimpaired group on story problems but not on nonverbal problems or number-fact problems. The Delayed group performed significantly worse than the Nonimpaired group on nonverbal problems as well as on story problems but not on number-fact problems. The Low Spatial group did not differ significantly from the Nonimpaired group on any of the three problem types, although the overall performance of these children was weaker. When we adjusted for finger use on number-fact problems, the Nonimpaired group outperformed both the Low Language and the Delayed groups but not the Low Spatial group. Thus, the finding that the Low Language and Delayed groups perform as well as the Nonimpaired group on number-fact problems is attributable to their greater finger use.

Journal of Learning Disabilities, Vol. 28, No. 1, 53-64 (1995)
DOI: 10.1177/002221949502800109


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