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Strategic development in exact calculation: group and individual differences in four achievement subtypes
Judith Wylie1, Julie-Ann Jordan, Gerry Mulhern
1School of Psychology, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, Northern Ireland, UK. jw.wylie@qub.ac.uk
Journal of Experimental Child Psychology
|June 22, 2012
Summary
Children develop exact calculation strategies between ages 5 and 7. Early mathematical difficulties are linked to strategy use, with derived fact retrieval at age 7 distinguishing affected children.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Development
- Mathematics Education
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Early mathematical skills are crucial for academic success.
- Understanding strategy development in exact calculation is key to identifying learning difficulties.
- Previous research has explored strategy use, but longitudinal data in early childhood is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate developmental changes in strategy use for exact calculation problems in children aged 5 to 7 years.
- To examine the relationship between mathematics and reading achievement subtypes and strategy selection, shifting, and adaptiveness.
- To identify specific strategies that differentiate children with mathematical difficulties.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal study design tracking children over time.
- Assessment of four mathematics and reading achievement subtypes at four distinct time points.
- Analysis of five distinct calculation strategies: finger counting, verbal counting, delayed retrieval, automatic retrieval, and derived fact retrieval.
Main Results:
- Children exhibit significant developmental changes in strategy use between ages 5 and 7.
- Mathematical and/or reading difficulties are associated with specific patterns in strategy choice, shift, and adaptiveness.
- The use of derived fact retrieval by age 7 effectively distinguished children with mathematical difficulties from other achievement groups.
Conclusions:
- Early childhood is a critical period for the development of mathematical calculation strategies.
- Strategy adaptiveness and specific retrieval methods are important indicators of mathematical achievement.
- While group differences exist, individual variability within achievement subtypes highlights the complexity of mathematical development.
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