Typically achieving children outperform children with mathematical learning difficulties on the SYMP one-digit subtest in Grades 1–5 and the two-digit subtest in Grades 2–5, but not in Grade 6¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · associational r3 · q3
Currency · newest study 2017 · checked against its sources 2026-10-19 (automated, 1 of 1 entry) · not reviewed by a person · overdue for a recheck since 2022: baselines and conditions change

Subclaims¶

q3 i? TA children performed significantly better than MLD children on the one-digit subtest in all grades except Grade 6, where no group difference was observed. → Brankaer 2017

Evidence¶

Brankaer 2017¶

Brankaer, C., Ghesquière, P., & De Smedt, B. (2017). Symbolic magnitude processing in elementary school children: A group administered paper-and-pencil measure (SYMP Test). Behavior Research Methods, 49, 1361–1373. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13428-016-0792-3

q3 · i? · associational · r3

Criterion-related validity analysis comparing children below the 10th percentile (MLD) with children above the 35th percentile (TA) on the standardized mathematics test. On the one-digit subtest, group differences held in Grades 1–5 but not Grade 6 ("F(1,196) = 0.78, p = .38"); the two-digit subtest, not given in Grade 1, showed the same pattern in Grades 2–5 and none in Grade 6 (F(1,196) = 0.26, p = .61); differences remained significant with motor speed as covariate.

"In all grades, children in the TA-group performed significantly better on the one-digit subtest than children in the MLD-group (Fs > 5.23, ps < .05), with exception for Grade 6 where no group differences were observed (F(1,196) = 0.78, p = .38)."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Number Sense — outcome: instruction changes it

Related Claims¶

• Children's symbolic magnitude comparison performance improves significantly across all primary school grades — related
• First graders with MLD are slower than typically achieving peers on symbolic but not non-symbolic numerical magnitude comparison — related
• Children with MLD are less accurate than TA peers on symbolic fraction magnitude comparisons from Grades 4 to 8 and than LA peers from Grade 5, with no group differences in growth rates on the total score — related
• The association between one-digit comparison and mathematics achievement decreases across grades, while the two-digit association remains stable — related
• People with MLD show lower number sense than typically developing peers (g = 0.88), with the largest deficits on mapping tasks — related