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ERIC Number: EJ1484413
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0031-3831
EISSN: EISSN-1470-1170
Available Date: 0000-00-00
The Associations between Mathematical Skills, Cognitive Performance, and Language Background in Elementary School Children. A Two-Year Follow-Up Study
Tanja Linnavalli1,2,3; Pinja Jylänki1,4; Julia Kainulainen5; Mari Tervaniemi1,2,3; Minna Törmänen1,6
Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, v69 n6 p1304-1318 2025
Early mathematical skills contribute to later school performance and socio-economic status. Working memory is related to mathematical skills, but spatial and language skills have independent effects on separate areas of mathematical skills such as solving word problems or arithmetic skills. In this study, 9- to 10-year-old children's (N = 57) cognitive and mathematical skills were assessed three times over 2 years. Spatial reasoning was associated with performance in solving word problems and working memory with performance in the arithmetic test. Regarding word problems, girls outperformed boys. Also, the second-language learners performed similarly to the native speakers in the beginning and in the end of the third grade, but worse in the end of the fourth grade. The results suggest that the students' inadequate mastery of the school language may lead to underachievement in mathematics, implying that further efforts should be invested in supporting their language learning.
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Elementary Education; Grade 3; Primary Education; Grade 4; Intermediate Grades
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Finland
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Wechsler Intelligence Scales Short Forms; Digit Span Test; Block Design Test
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; 2Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; 3Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body and Brain (MMBB), Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; 4Teachers, Teaching and Educational Communities, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; 5Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; 6Institute for Professionalization and System Development, University of Teacher Education in Special Needs, Zürich, Switzerland