Working Memory and Children’s Mathematical Skills: Implications for mathematical development and mathematics curricula

By Joni Holmes, John Adams. 2006

301 citations recorded by the source corpus.

This study examined the contributions of the different components of the working memory (WM) model to a range of mathematical skills in children, using measures of WM function that did not involve numerical stimuli. A sample of 148 children (78 Year 3, mean age 8 years and 1 month, and 70 Year 5 pupils, mean age 9 years and 10 months) completed WM measures and age‐appropriate mathematics tests designed to assess four mathematical skills defined by the National Curriculum for England. Visuo‐spatial sketchpad and central executive, but not phonological loop, scores predicted unique variance in children’s curriculum‐based mathematical attainment but the relative contributions of each component did not vary much across the different skills. Subsequently, the mathematics data were re‐analysed using cluster analysis and new performance‐related mathematics factors were derived. All three components of WM predicted unique variance in these performance‐related skills, but revealed a markedly distinct pattern of associations across the two age groups. In particular, the data indicated a stronger role for the visuo‐spatial sketchpad in the younger children’s mathematics performance. We discuss our findings in terms of the importance of WM in the development of early mathematical ability.

Subfields: Developmental and Educational Psychology, Statistics and Probability

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/13dfbfa460d3d1d2fb77a4c15be7ec2cd5ff043c

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In Developmental and Educational Psychology

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Citations in the corpus

Spatial and visual working memory ability in children with difficulties in arithmetic word problem solving (2010, background): “In studies investigating the influence of WM components in mathematics school achievement, Holmes and Adams ( 2006 ) showed that VSWM and central executive scores predicted children's curriculum-based mathematical abilities in children aged 8 and 9 years.”
Working memory and mathematics: A review of developmental, individual difference, and cognitive approaches. (2010, background): “In younger (7–8year olds) and older (9–10year olds) children, Holmes and Adams (2006) examined the contribution of the central executive (Listening span), visual– spatial sketchpad (a Mazes memory task), and phonological loop (non-word list recall) to achievement in a variety of mathematical…”
The relationship between visuospatial sketchpad capacity and children's mathematical skills (2008, methodology): “…on these questions and the spatial working memory task is that the younger children were building and manipulating mental representations, or mental models, of the numerical information to solve the problems as they read the stories (e.g., Holmes & Adams, 2006; Rasmussen & Bisanz, 2005).”
Skills underlying mathematics: The role of executive function in the development of mathematics proficiency (2014, unknown): “Both mathematics ability and EF skills improve during development and therefore the relationship between the two will also change as children get older (Holmes & Adams, 2006; Rasmussen & Bisanz, 2000 ).”
The Importance of Additive Reasoning in Children’s Mathematical Achievement: A Longitudinal Study (2017, unknown): “…memory and mathematics learning in children used the model proposed by Baddeley and Hitch (e.g., Cowan & Powell, 2014; Gathercole & Pickering, 2000; Holmes & Adams, 2006; Keeler & Swanson, 2001; Lee, Ng, Ng, & Lim, 2004; Lehto, 1995; Noel, Seron, & Trovarelli, 2004; Swanson & Beebe-Frankenberger,…”
Executive Function Skills, Early Mathematics, and Vocabulary in Head Start Preschool Children (2017, background): “…single math domain measures that have dominated prior work (i.e., counting, number identification, numbermagnitude, or simple operations; Bull et al., 2008; Clark et al., 2010; Fitzpatrick et al., 2014; Holmes & Adams, 2006; Rasmussen & Bisanz, 2005; Verdine et al., 2014; J. A. Welsh et al., 2010).”
Chapter Six - How Working Memory Capacity Affects Problem Solving (2012, background): “…span) suggesting a domain-specific relationship, but this is no longer the case and the relation of math performance to non-numerical complex span tasks has now been established (Bull et al., 2008; Clair-Thompson & Gathercole, 2006; Holmes & Adams, 2006; Jurden, 1995; Passolunghi et al., 2007).”
Cattell–Horn–Carroll cognitive‐achievement relations: What we have learned from the past 20 years of research (2010, background): “Other research supports these findings as memory span (Gsm-MS) has been related to performing mental arithmetic and how quickly numbers can be counted (Geary, 1993; Holmes & Adams, 2006).”