RT journal article
T1 Longitudinal study of low and high achievers in early mathematics
A1 Navarro Guzmán, Francisco José Ignacio
A1 Aguilar Villagrán, Manuel
A1 Marchena Consejero, Esperanza
A1 Menacho Jiménez, María Inmaculada
A1 Ruiz, Gonzalo
A1 Van Luit, H.
A2 Psicología
K1 early mathematics
K1 mathematics disability
K1 low mathematics achievement
K1 Early Numeracy Test
AB Background. Longitudinal studies allow us to identify, which specific maths skills areweak in young children, and whether there is a continuing weakness in these areasthroughout their school years.Aims. This 2-year study investigated whether certain socio-demographic variablesaffect early mathematical competency in children aged 5–7 years.Sample. A randomly selected sample of 127 students (64 female; 63 male) participated.At the start of the study, the students were approximately 5 years old (M = 5.2;SD = 0.28; range = 4.5–5.8).Method. The students were assessed using the Early Numeracy Test and thenallocated to a high (n = 26), middle (n = 76), or low (n = 25) achievers group.The same children were assessed again with the Early Numeracy Test at 6 and 7 yearsold, respectively. Eight socio-demographic characteristics were also evaluated: familymodel, education of the parent(s), job of the parent(s), number of family members,birth order, number of computers at home, frequency of teacher visits, and hourswatching television.Results. Early Numeracy Test scores were more consistent for the high-achieversgroup than for the low-achievers group. Approximately 5.5% of low achievers obtainedlow scores throughout the study. A link between specific socio-demographic characteristicsand early achievement in mathematics was only found for number of computersat home.Conclusions. The level of mathematical ability among students aged 5–7 yearsremains relatively stable regardless of the initial level of achievement. However, earlyscreening for mathematics learning disabilities could be useful in helping low-achievingstudents overcome learning obstacles.
PB Wiley Online Editor
SN 2044-8279
YR 2012
FD 2012-09-01T00:00:00Z
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10498/16779
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10498/16779
LA eng
NO This material is based on work supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science & Technology grant no. SEJ2007-62420/EDUC and Junta de Andalucia grant no. P09-HUM-4918.
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Cádiz
RD 07-nov-2026