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Bidirectional effects between working memory and math in children with and without math disabilities: Does working

H Lee Swanson1

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Summary

Children with math disabilities (MD) show a weaker link between working memory (WM) and math skills over time. Math achievement influences WM development more in typical learners than in those with MD.

Keywords:
Cross-Lagged EffectsHigh Math AchieversMath DifficultiesMath DisabilitiesWorking Memory

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Educational Psychology

Background:

  • Inefficient working memory (WM) is linked to math disabilities (MD) in children.
  • The directional relationship between WM and math performance in children with MD requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the bidirectional relationship between WM and math performance in children with and without MD.
  • To examine how this relationship evolves across three grades and over three years.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study of 651 children across three cohorts and three grade levels (grades 1-5).
  • Comparison of children with MD (n=103) to typically developing peers (n=446) and high achievers (n=175).
  • Analysis of within-subject and between-subject changes in WM and math performance.

Main Results:

  • The relationship between WM and math performance differed between children with and without MD.
  • Age-related math gains relied heavily on WM resources.
  • WM influenced math performance in typically developing children and high achievers, but not in children with MD.

Conclusions:

  • Children with MD exhibit a weaker WM-math connection, particularly in early learning stages.
  • The findings suggest that weaker WM growth relative to math growth, not prior knowledge or reduced WM capacity, explains the observed patterns in children with MD.