Projects per year
Abstract
Number writing involves transcoding from number words (e.g., "thirty-two") to written digit strings (32) and is an important unique predictor of arithmetic. The existing longitudinal evidence about the relation between transcoding and arithmetic is mostly language specific. In languages with number word inversion (e.g., German), the order of tens and units is transposed in spoken number words compared with Arabic numbers. This makes transcoding more challenging than in languages without number word inversion (e.g., English). In the current study, we aimed to understand whether the contribution of number writing to the development of arithmetic is similar in languages with and without number word inversion. German-speaking children (n = 166) and English-speaking children (n = 201) were followed over the first 3 years of primary school. In a series of multiple linear regressions, we tested whether number writing of multi-digit numbers was a significant unique predictor of arithmetic after controlling for well-known non-numerical predictors (nonverbal reasoning and working memory) and numerical predictors (symbolic and nonsymbolic magnitude comparison). Number writing in Grade 1 predicted arithmetic in Grades 1, 2, and 3 over and above the other predictors. Crucially, number writing performance was of comparable importance for arithmetic development in German- and English-speaking children. Our findings extend previous evidence by showing that transcoding predicts the development of arithmetic skills during the first 3 years of primary school in languages with and without number word inversion.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 105482 |
Number of pages | 18 |
Journal | Journal of Experimental Child Psychology |
Volume | 223 |
Early online date | 1 Jul 2022 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 1 Jul 2022 |
Bibliographical note
© 2022 The Author(s).Projects
- 1 Finished
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Three hundred-and-twenty-eight and 328: cross-format number integration and its relationship to mathematics performance
ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RESEARCH COUNCIL (ESRC)
1/04/17 → 2/07/20
Project: Research project (funded) › Research
Datasets
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Three-hundred-and-twenty-eight and 328: Cross-format number integration and its relationship to mathematics performance 2017-2020
Goebel, S. M. (Creator), Wesierska, M. (Creator) & Landerl, K. (Creator), UK Data Service, 2020
DOI: 10.5255/ukda-sn-854335, https://reshare.ukdataservice.ac.uk/854398/
Dataset