Research Byte: Stability of early #numbersense competencies for predicting #math difficulties —#CHC #coreknowledgesystems #schoolpsychology #schoolpsychologists #cognitive #Gq #math #SLD

Stability of early number sense competencies for predicting mathematics difficulties

Learning and Individual Differences (2025).  Click here to go to journal page with author, etc. info.

It is my current working hypothesis that measures of number sense (and other Gq abilities such as magnitude recognition) may measure what developmental cognitive psychologists consider part of a quantitative “core knowledge system”.  Click here for access to an excellent article that discusses all core knowledge systems.  Perhaps these are fundamental cognitive mechanisms that lie beneath the narrow ability stratum in the CHC model of human cognitive abilities.

Abstract

Significant individual differences in children's number competencies exist in early childhood, and these competencies can have long-term implications for academic and economic success (National Research Council, 2009). The present study assessed the classification accuracy of the Screener for Early Number Sense (SENS), a screening tool grounded in an evidence-informed conceptual model of number sense that is designed for children in pre-kindergarten (pre-K), kindergarten, and first grade. A cohort of 450 children was assessed on the SENS, followed by a standardized mathematics achievement measure one year later. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses indicated that the SENS effectively differentiated children who went on to show math difficulties (MD) from those without MD. Accuracy rate was acceptable for pre-K, kindergarten, and first grade. An analysis of SENS performance over time categorized by MD risk status revealed differing patterns of growth across the pre-K vs. kindergarten year. These collective findings underscore the importance of math screening as early as pre-K.

Educational relevance

Educators need reliable and valid tools to identify young children who may be at risk for mathematics learning difficulties. The present study presents a number sense screener that accurately predicts pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, and first grade students' later mathematical difficulties. The study demonstrates how screener results and prevalence rates can be used to identify individual-level student risk and to make subsequent instructional decisions across varying schools or districts.

Research byte: Early #numeracy and #mathematics development: A longitudinal #metaanalysis on the predictive nature of early numeracy—attention #schoolpsychology #SPED #WJV

Early numeracy and mathematics development: A longitudinal meta-analysis on the predictive nature of early numeracy.

Liu, Y., Peng, P., & Yan, X. (2025). Early numeracy and mathematics development: A longitudinal meta-analysis on the predictive nature of early numeracy. Journal of Educational Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000925

As an FYI, the forthcoming WJ V now includes, in the achievement battery, a measure of numeracy (Number Sense).  An age truncated version of this test was in the WJ IV ECAD.  In the WJ V this test covers the entire age span from young to old age.  

COI - although I am a coauthor of the WJ V, my WJ V contract is no longer a royalty-earning contract. I was paid for my work as an independent contractor—thus I have ZERO financial interests based on sales).  Complete COI available here.

Click on image to enlarge for easy reading

Number sense: Two dimensional construct that may either be Gf, Gq or mixed Gf/Gq in CHC taxonomy

 

Very interesting article on the structure of number sense (numerosity) and correlates of the dimensions of number sense. Joel Schneider and I, in our 2012 CHC book chapter, suggest that number sense is likely a new ability that needs to be included in the CHC taxonomy. At this time there is no research I am aware of that helps determine where number sense fits in the CHC taxonomy. As Joel and I have written, we believe it likely would fall under Gq or Gf. It is my current thinking, based on the study featured here and other research I have read, that number sense most likely is a factorially complex ability that will fall under Gq and Gf (RQ). There is likely going to be an increase in standardized measures of number sense (or numerosity) in future individually administered test batteries.

Click on images below to enlarge

"NS at an early age has been denoted as the most important predictor of later mathematics performance: more important than general intelligence, and still present when controlling for other measures such as working memory (e.g., Geary, Hoard, Nugent, & Bailey, 2013; Mazzocco, Feigenson, & Halberda, 2011). Similarly, problems in early NS may precede long-lasting problems in mathematics performance throughout the academic career of a child (Ansari & Karmiloff-Smith, 2002; Butterworth, 2005). In the past decades, research concerning the components of NS, its predictive role for later performance, and the possibilities to remediate delays in NS has been expanded (e.g., Dyson, Jordan, & Glutting, 2013; Toll & Van Luit, 2013a). The present study builds on current understandings of NS and aims to inves-tigate the factor structure of NS and the predictive role of working memory (WM)."

"Although research concerning NS has recently increased, there is limited consensus with regard to its definition. Dehaene (1992, 2001) stressed the intuitive capacity to mentally represent quantities, but other definitions focus on declarative knowledge of numbers, and the ability to compare between and manipulate them, as evidenced by di-verse batteries of quantity-related tests (Jordan, Glutting, Ramineni, & Watkins, 2010; Malofeeva et al., 2004). Also, a limited number of studies have targeted the factors underlying the construct."

"The factor analysis yielded a factor structure of two distinct components. The first component can be characterised as symbolic processing and is primarily based on culture-based taught skills: number recognition, counting, and using number words in a meaningful context. This factor could predict performance on digit knowledge and counting, but also on the symbolic versions of the number comparison and number line test, as formal knowledge of number symbols and words was needed for successful completion of these tasks. The second factor could be characterised as nonsymbolic processing, and primarily indicated the intuitive processing of number and magnitude, quite similar to the influential definition of NS given by Dehaene (2001), who postu-lated that NS is quick and intuitive. This factor could predict performance on both the symbolic and the nonsymbolic comparison and number line tests."

"We found that both symbolic and nonsymbolic processing could be predicted by WM components. However, whereas both the central executive and visuospatial sketchpad could significantly predict symbolic number processing, variance in nonsymbolic processing was only predicted by the central exec-utive, whilst measures of the slave systems added no additional explained variance. Yet, each individual measure of WM did correlate with measures loading onto nonsymbolic NS, highlighting the importance of analysing these associations in integrated models in order to control for shared variance between tasks. The significant associations between symbolic processing and both the central executive and visuospatial sketchpad suggested that to successfully count and use number words and symbols, both visuospatial storage and processing is needed

 

 

 

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