The Relationship Between Mathematical Abilities and Phonological Awareness Skills in Greek Students

https://doi.org/10.54088/klgu85tis

Authors

  • Anastasia Kourti
  • Meesha Warmington Department of Human Communication Sciences at the University of Sheffield

Keywords:

Keywords: Cognitive Psychology, Mathematical Abilities, Phonological Abilities

Abstract

Background: Research indicates that phonological awareness is correlated to mathematical abilities. There are, however, little evidence in Greek language.

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to identify whether there is a relationship between phonological awareness (PA) and mathematical skills in monolingual Greek 1st Graders. Although Greek language differs from English in morphology and phoneme-grapheme correspondence, similar findings are expected as in international literature.

Method: The present study assessed 45 children, students of 1st Grade in non-verbal IQ, reading, Rapid Automatized Naming (RAN), Phonological Awareness (PA) and mathematical skills.

Results and conclusions: Correlation analysis showed that there is a significant correlate between mathematical abilities and PA, and RAN. In addition, mathematical skills correlate to reading abilities and age of the participant. Regression analysis also revealed a correlation between mathematical abilities and PA, and RAN.

References

References

Butterworth, B. The development of arithmetical abilities. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2005; 46(1): 3–18.

Muter, V. Early reading development and dyslexia. London, England: Whurr Publishers; 2003.

Porpodas, K. Reading (I Anagnosi). Author, Patras, Greece (in Greek); 2002

Schneider, W., Küspert, P., Roth, E., Visé, M., & Marx, H. Short- and long-term effects of training phonological awareness in kindergarten: Evidence from two German studies. J Exp Child Psychol 1997; 66(3): 311–340.

Hecht, S., Torgesen, J., Wagner, R., & Rashotte, C. The relations between phonological processing abilities and emerging individual differences in mathematical computation skills: A longitudinal study from second to fifth grades. J Exp Child Psychol 2001; 79(2): 192-227.

Koponen, T., Aunola, K., Ahonen, T., & Nurmi, J.-E. Cognitive predictors of single-digit and procedural calculation skills and their covariation with reading skill. J Exp Child Psychol 2007; 97(3): 220–241.

Krajewski K, & Schneider W. Exploring the impact of phonological awareness, visual-spatial working memory, and preschool quantity-number competencies on mathematics achievement in elementary school: Findings from a 3-year longitudinal study. J Exp Child Psychol 2009; 103(4): 516-31.

Koponen, T., Salmi, P., Torppa, M., Eklund, K., Aro, T., Aro, M., Poikeus, A-M., Lerkkanen, M-K, & Nurmi, J. Counting and rapid naming predict the fluency of arithmetic and reading skills. Contemporary Ed Psychol 2016; 44–45: 83–94.

Aidinis, A., & Nunes, T. The role of different levels of phonological awareness in the development of reading and spelling in Greek. Reading and Writing 2001; 14(1–2): 145 –177.

Karantzis, I. The relationship between phonemic awareness and children's performance in reading and mathematics, Journal of Peadagogical Issues, Greek Pedagogical Institute (GPI) 2003; issue 8: 113-127.

LeFevre, J., Polyzoi, E., Skwarchuk, S., Fast, L., & Sowinski, C. Do home numeracy and literacy practices of Greek and Canadian parents predict the numeracy skills of kindergarten children? Int J Early Years Ed 2010; 18: 55–70.

Manolitsis, G., Georgiou, G., & Tziraki, N. Examining the effects of home literacy and numeracy environment on early reading and math acquisition. Early Childhood Research Quarterly 2013; 28: 692-703.

Georgiou, G., Tziraki, N., Manolitsis, G., & Fella, A. Is rapid automatized naming related to reading and mathematics for the same reason(s)? A follow-up study from kindergarten to Grade 1. J Exp Child Psychol 2013; 115(3): 481-496.

De Smedt, B., Taylor, J., Archibald, L., & Ansari, D., 2010. How is phonological processing related to individual differences in children’s arithmetic skills? Developmental Science 13(3), 508–520.

Durand, M., Hulme, C., Larkin, R., & Snowling, M. The cognitive foundations of reading and arithmetic skills in 7‐ to 10‐year‐olds. J Exp Child Psychol 2005; 91(2): 113–136.

Passolunghi, M., Mammarella, I., & Altoe, G. Cognitive abilities as precursors of the early acquisition of mathematical skills during first through second grades. Dev Neuropsychol 2008; 33(3): 229–250.

Kleemans, T., Segers, E., & Verhoeven, L. Cognitive and linguistic precursors to numeracy: Evidence from first and second language learners. Learning and Individual Differences 2011; 21(5): 555–561.

Wechsler, D. Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence–Second Edition (WASI-II). San Antonio, TX: NCS Pearson; 2011.

Maccow, G. Overview of WASI-II; 2011 Pearson, retrieved 15 March 2018 from http://images.pearsonclinical.com/images/pdf/webinar/wasi-iihandoutoct2011.pdf

Porpodas, K. Standardized Test of Detection and Investigation of Reading Difficulties in Kindergarten and 1st-2nd Grade. Hellenic Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs- Operational Programme for Education and Initial Vocational Training-I. (in Greek); 2007.

Papadopoulos, T., Spanoudis, G., & Kendeou, P. Rapid Automatised Naming Assessment Battery. Nicosia: Department of Psychology, University of Cyprus; 2008.

Papadopoulos, T., Spanoudis, G., & Georgiou, G. How is RAN related to reading fluency? A comprehensive examination of the prominent theoretical accounts. Frontiers in Psychol, 2016; 7.

Papadopoulos, T., Spanoudis, G., & Kendeou, P. Phonological Awareness Assessment Battery. Nicosia: Department of Psychology, University of Cyprus; 2008.

Papadopoulos, T., Kendeou, P., & Spanoudis, G. Investigating the factor structure and measurement invariance of phonological abilities in a sufficiently transparent language. J Ed Psychol, 2012; 104(2): 321-336.

Papadopoulos T., Spanoudis, G., & Kendeou, P. The dimensionality of phonological abilities in Greek. Reading Research Quarterly 2009; 44(2): 127-143.

Simmons, F., Singleton, C., & Horne, J. Brief report—phonological awareness and visual-spatial sketchpad functioning predict early arithmetic attainment: evidence from a longitudinal study. Eur J Cognitive Psychol 2008; 20(4): 711–722.

Swanson, H., Jerman, O., & Zheng, X. Growth in working memory and mathematical problem solving in children at risk and not at risk for serious math difficulties. J Ed Psychol 2008; 100(2): 343–379.

van Bergen, E., de Jong, P. F., Maassen, B., & van der Leij, A. The effect of parents’ literacy skills and children’s preliteracy skills on the risk of dyslexia. J Abnormal Child Psychol 2014; 42(7): 1187–1200.

Foster, M., Anthony, J., Zucker, T., & Branum-Martin, L. Prediction of English and Spanish kindergarten mathematics from English and Spanish cognitive and linguistic abilities in Hispanic dual language learners. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 2018.

Duncan, G. J., Dowsett, C. J., Claessens, A., Magnuson, K., Huston, A. C., Klebanov, P., . . . Japel, C. (2007). School readiness and later achievement. Dev Psychol 2007; 43(6): 1428-1446.

Defior S. Phonological Awareness and Learning to Read: A Cross-Linguistic Perspective. In: Nunes T., Bryant P. (eds) Handbook of Children’s Literacy. Springer, Dordrecht; 2004.

Dickerson Mayes, S., Calhoun, S.L., Bixler, E.O., Zimmerman, D.N. (2009). IQ and neuropsychological predictors of academic achievement. Learning and Individual Differences, 19(2), 238–241.

Purpura, D., Logan, J., Hassinger-Das, B., & Napoli, A. Why Do Early Mathematics Skills Predict Later Reading? The Role of Mathematical Language. Dev Psychol 2017; 53(9): 1633-1642.

Jordan, J., Wylie, J., & Mulhern, G. Phonological awareness and mathematical difficulty: A longitudinal perspective. Br J Dev Psychol 2010; 28: 89–107.

Simmons, F. & Singleton, C. Do weak phonological representations impact on arithmetic development? A review of research into arithmetic and dyslexia. Dyslexia 2008; 14(2): 77–94.

Foster, M., Antony, J. Clements, D., & Sarama, J. Processes in the development of mathematics in kindergarten children from Title 1 schools. J Exp Child Psychol 2015; 140: 56–73.

Snowling, M. From language to reading and dyslexia. Dyslexia 2001; 7(1): 37–46.

Georgiou, G., Parrila R., Kirby, J., & Stephenson, K. Rapid Naming Components and Their Relationship with Phonological Awareness, Orthographic Knowledge, Speed of Processing, and Different Reading Outcomes, Scientific Studies of Reading 2008; 12(4): 325-350.

Moll, K., Snowling, M., Göbel, S., & Hulme, C. Early language and executive skills predict variations in number and arithmetic skills in children at family-risk of dyslexia and typically developing controls. Learning and Instruction 2015; 38: 53-62.

Downloads

Published

2021-07-29

Issue

Section

Original research work