Simms_PedRes(2015).pdf (561.59 kB)
Nature and origins of mathematics difficulties in very preterm children: a different etiology than developmental dyscalculia.
journal contribution
posted on 2015-01-30, 14:07 authored by Victoria Simms, Camilla GilmoreCamilla Gilmore, Lucy Cragg, Sarah Clayton, Neil Marlow, Samantha JohnsonBACKGROUND: Children born very preterm (<32 wk) are at high risk for mathematics learning difficulties that are out of proportion to other academic and cognitive deficits. However, the etiology of mathematics difficulties in very preterm children is unknown. We sought to identify the nature and origins of preterm children's mathematics difficulties. METHODS: One hundred and fifteen very preterm children aged 8-10 y were assessed in school with a control group of 77 term-born classmates. Achievement in mathematics, working memory, visuospatial processing, inhibition, and processing speed were assessed using standardized tests. Numerical representations and specific mathematics skills were assessed using experimental tests. RESULTS: Very preterm children had significantly poorer mathematics achievement, working memory, and visuospatial skills than term-born controls. Although preterm children had poorer performance in specific mathematics skills, there was no evidence of imprecise numerical representations. Difficulties in mathematics were associated with deficits in visuospatial processing and working memory. CONCLUSION: Mathematics difficulties in very preterm children are associated with deficits in working memory and visuospatial processing not numerical representations. Thus, very preterm children's mathematics difficulties are different in nature from those of children with developmental dyscalculia. Interventions targeting general cognitive problems, rather than numerical representations, may improve very preterm children's mathematics achievement.
History
School
- Science
Department
- Mathematics Education Centre
Published in
Pediatric researchVolume
77Issue
2Pages
389 - 395Citation
SIMMS, V. ... et al, 2015. Nature and origins of mathematics difficulties in very preterm children: a different etiology than developmental dyscalculia. Pediatric Research, 77 (2), pp. 389 - 395.Publisher
Nature Publishing Group / © International Pediatric Research Foundation, Inc.Version
- AM (Accepted Manuscript)
Publisher statement
This work is made available according to the conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) licence. Full details of this licence are available at: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/Acceptance date
2014-08-15Publication date
2014-11-19Copyright date
2015Notes
This article was published in the journal Pediatric Research [Nature Publishing Group / © International Pediatric Research Foundation, Inc.]. The definitive version is available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/pr.2014.184ISSN
0031-3998eISSN
1530-0447Publisher version
Language
- en
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