Early listening comprehension directly predicts later word-problem solving and word reading but not calculations, and numerical cognition does not mediate this relation¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · associational r3 · q3
Currency · newest study 2022 · checked against its sources 2026-10-25 (automated, 1 of 1 entry) · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? Early listening comprehension was directly associated with later WPS (0.167) and reading (0.103), not calculations, and intermediary NC did not mediate this relation; the associations cannot show cause. → Spencer Mercedes 2022

Evidence¶

Spencer Mercedes 2022¶

Spencer Mercedes, Fuchs Lynn S., Geary David C., Fuchs Douglas. (2022). Connections between Mathematics and Reading Development: Numerical Cognition Mediates Relations between Foundational Competencies and Later Academic Outcomes. Journal of Educational Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000670

q3 · i? · associational · r3

From the final pruned path analysis mediation model (N = 370 first graders followed to the end of second grade). Table 1 gives the direct path from early listening comprehension as 0.167 (95% CI 0.099 to 0.237) to later WPS and 0.103 (0.026 to 0.185) to later reading, with no path to calculations and no indirect path via NC; the Discussion agrees ("Early language was a stronger predictor of later WPS (0.167) compared to later reading (0.103)"). The Results sentence quoted below swaps the two outcomes, apparently a typo. The data are observational, so these are associations, not evidence that listening comprehension causes the later outcomes.

"Early listening comprehension was associated with later reading (0.167) and WPS only (0.103); intermediary NC did not mediate this relation."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Auditory Processing — predictor: learners who differ on it differ in outcomes
• Operations and Place Value — predictor: learners who differ on it differ in outcomes
• Oral Language — predictor: learners who differ on it differ in outcomes

Related Claims¶

• The final pruned mediation model fits the data excellently and accounts for 58.0%, 62.2%, and 53.2% of variance in later calculations, word-problem solving, and reading — related
• Numerical cognition assessed at end of first grade statistically mediates associations between early processing speed, working memory, calculation skill, word-problem solving, and attentive behavior and later calculations, word-problem solving, and reading — reports the opposite
• End-of-first-grade numerical cognition directly predicts later calculations, word-problem solving, and word reading, with the strongest relation to calculations — related
• Crossover effects: early reading fluency predicts later mathematics outcomes more strongly than early mathematics skills predict later reading — related