Spatial assembly skill measured at age 3 (TOSA) strongly correlates with mathematics performance one year later at age 4¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · associational r1–r2 · q3 · i3 large
Currency · newest study 2014 · checked against its sources 2026-10-20 (automated, 2 of 2 entries) · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i3 TOSA scores at age 3 correlated r = .71 (p < .001) with WIAT math scores at age 4, and TOSA remained a significant predictor in the final regression (std. = .346, t = 2.94, p = .005). → Verdine 2014 q3 i3 Partial correlations controlling the other three spatial/EF predictors remained positive for TOSA (r = .43, p = .005), VMI (r = .43, p = .005), and Tap Test (r = .40, p = .010), with FIST marginal (r = .27, p = .093). → Verdine 2014 (2)

Evidence¶

Verdine 2014¶

Verdine, B. N., Irwin, C. M., Golinkoff, R. M., & Hirsh-Pasek, K. (2014). Contributions of Executive Function and Spatial Skills to Preschool Mathematics Achievement. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 126, 37-51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2014.02.012

q3 · i3 · associational · r2

Bivariate correlation analysis in the longitudinal sample of 44 children, relating age-3 TOSA and age-4 EF, spatial, and math measures. TOSA showed the largest correlation with WIAT (r = .71, p < .001); the TOSA was given a year before the WIAT.

"Bivariate correlations were analyzed between predictive variables and the dependent variable (WIAT) showing positive, sizeable correlations with the EF (FIST r = .60; p <.001; Tap Test r = .58, p <.001) and spatial measures (VMI r = .67, p <.001; TOSA r = .71, p <.001)."

Verdine 2014 (2)¶

Verdine, B. N., Irwin, C. M., Golinkoff, R. M., & Hirsh-Pasek, K. (2014). Contributions of Executive Function and Spatial Skills to Preschool Mathematics Achievement. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 126, 37-51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2014.02.012

q3 · i3 · associational · r1

Partial correlation analysis controlling the other three predictors, reported in the Results. TOSA and VMI each correlated r = .43 (p = .005) with WIAT, the Tap Test r = .40 (p = .010), and the FIST a marginal r = .27 (p = .093).

"Partial correlations between the WIAT and each of the spatial and EF independent variables (TOSA, VMI, Tap Test, and FIST), controlling for the other three independent variables, continued to show positive, mid-level correlations for the TOSA (r = .43; p = .005), VMI (r = .43; p = .005), and Tap Test (r = .40; p = .010) and a marginal correlation for the FIST (r = .27; p = .093)."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Spatial Ability — predictor: learners who differ on it differ in outcomes

Related Claims¶

• Executive function and spatial skills jointly predict 70% of the variance in age-4 mathematics performance without an explicit number-knowledge measure — related
• Vocabulary (PPVT) is not a significant unique predictor of preschool mathematics once EF and spatial skills are in the model, despite alone accounting for 41% of variance — related
• Spatial skills uniquely predict 27% of the variance in preschool mathematics over and above executive function — related
• Block Play Predicts Math Achievement — related
• Longitudinal evidence shows spatial ability predicts STEM educational and occupational outcomes beyond mathematical and verbal ability — related
• EF measures jointly account for 43% of math variance, with inhibition (Tap Test) a significant unique predictor but cognitive flexibility (FIST) not significant in any model — related
• Higher-SES preschoolers outperform lower-SES peers on math, spatial, EF, and vocabulary measures, except the Tap Test where the difference is a non-significant trend — related
• Spatial ability scores are positively associated with mathematics performance across children and adults, as the review reports — a broader claim this one bears on