Performance across different areas of mathematical cognition in children with learning difficulties.

Abstract

The performance of 210 2nd graders in different areas of mathematical cognition was examined. Children were divided into 4 achievement groups: children with difficulties in mathematics but not in reading (MD-only), children with difficulties in both mathematics and reading (MD/RD), children with difficulties in reading but not in mathematics, and children with normal achievement. Although both MD groups performed worse than normally achieving groups in most areas of mathematical cognition, the MD-only group showed an advantage over the MD/RD group in exact calculation of arithmetic combinations and in problem solving. The 2 groups did not differ in approximate arithmetic and understanding of place value and written computation. Children with MD-only seem to be superior to children with MD/RD in areas that may be mediated by language but not in ones that rely on numerical magnitudes, visuospatial processing, and automaticity.