Combine early phonological awareness training with training of the precise number-word sequence to prevent math difficulties¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · 3 claims (2 for, 1 mixed) · 1 study (1 associational), q3 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 3 claims rest on one study

Description¶

A discussion-section recommendation for children whose phonological awareness deficits are diagnosed in kindergarten: because such deficits appear to underlie Geary's semantic memory subtype of mathematical disability via QNC Level I, the authors argue that training phonological awareness "should be combined with training basic numerical skill s to facilitate the differentiation and manipulation of single words in the number-word sequence". This means pairing phonological awareness exercises with practice reciting the number-word sequence forwards and backwards, identifying subsequent and preceding number words, and matching number words with their Arabic notations.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Diagnosis of pronounced phonological awareness deficits (e.g., lack of rhyming skills) in kindergarten-age children

Constraints¶

• This is the authors' recommendation, not a tested manipulation in this study; the authors note the compensability assumption cannot be tested based on their data

Target Learners¶

• kindergarten children with impaired phonological awareness
• children at risk for mathematical difficulties

Target Learning Goals¶

• acquisition and automation of the number-word sequence
• prevention of mathematical difficulties linked to basic numerical skills (QNC Level I)

Affordances¶

• Qnc Three Level Developmental Model

Claims¶

• Kindergarten phonological awareness explains about 34% of the variance in basic numerical skills (QNC Level I) one year later [+W]
• QNC Level I predicts QNC Level II/III, which in turn predicts Grade 3 mathematics achievement; QNC Level I also retains a direct path to Grade 3 math [+W]
• Phonological awareness has no direct effect on higher-order QNC (Level II and above) or Grade 3 math achievement once QNC skills are modeled, confirming the isolated number-words hypothesis [~W]

Related Strategies¶

• Phoneme Awareness Training
• Rhythmic Clapping/Counting

Examples¶

-

Key Sources¶

• Krajewski, K., & Schneider, W. (2009). Exploring the impact of phonological awareness, visual-spatial working memory, and preschool quantity-number competencies on mathematics achievement in elementary school: Findings from a 3-year longitudinal study. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 103(4), 516-531. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2009.03.009