Early Literacy and Numeracy Skills in Bilingual Minority Children: Toward a Relative Independence of Linguistic and Numerical Processing

Abstract

Many studies have suggested that the concept of “number” is relatively independent from linguistic skills, although an increasing number of studies suggest that language abilities may play a pivotal role in the development of arithmetic skills. The condition of bilingualism can offer a unique perspective into the role of linguistic competence in numerical development. The present study was aimed at evaluating the relationship between language skills and early numeracy through a multilevel investigation in monolingual and bilingual minority children attending preschool. The sample included 156 preschool children. Of these, 77 were bilingual minority children (mean age = 58.27 ± 5.90), and 79 were monolinguals (mean age = 58.45 ± 6.03). The study focused on three levels of analysis: group differences in language and number skills, concurrent linguistic predictors of early numeracy and, finally, profile analysis of linguistic skills in children with impaired vs. adequate numeracy skills. The results showed that, apart from the expected differences in linguistic measures, bilinguals differed from monolinguals in numerical skills with a verbal component, such as semantic knowledge of digits, but they did not differ in a pure non-verbal component such as quantity comparison. The multigroup structural equation model indicated that letter knowledge was a significant predictor of the verbal component of numeracy for both groups. Phonological awareness was a significant predictor of numeracy skills only in the monolingual group. Profile analysis showed that children with a selective weakness in the non-verbal component of numeracy had fully adequate verbal skills. Results from the present study suggest that only some specific components of language competence predict numerical processing, although linguistic proficiency may not be a prerequisite for developing adequate early numeracy skills.

Predictors of Children’s Early Numeracy: Environmental Variables, Intergenerational Pathways, and Children’s Cognitive, Linguistic, and Non-symbolic Number Skills

“…However, there are contrasting results to this regard (for a review, see De Smedt et al, 2013 ), and some authors suggest that symbolic representation is more strictly related to mathematical achievements ( Göbel et al, 2014 ; Goffin and Ansari, 2019 ). This is in line with the strong relationship found between math skills and language development (e.g., Korpipää et al, 2019 ), supporting the idea that language competence may act as a scaffolding ability on which numerical development may rely ( Bonifacci et al, 2016 ). In terms of linguistic skills, the verbal code proposed within the Triple Code Model ( Dehaene, 1992 , 1997 ) was used in particular for counting, addition, and easy multiplication.…”

“…We hypothesized significant links between early math skills and domain-general cognitive variables, and in particular with working memory, for which literature provides a body of evidence ( Raghubar et al, 2010 ). Also, we expected to find an association with language variables, as shown by past studies on preschoolers ( Bonifacci et al, 2016 ).…”

Auditory Cortex Morphology Predicts Language Learning Potential in Children and Teenagers

“…This, in turn, has fueled a discussion as to whether weaknesses in phonological processing could hinder the development of skills that rely on the manipulation and storage of verbal codes (e.g., counting, calculations), explaining the comorbidity between reading disorder and dyscalculia (Dirks et al, 2008; Simmons and Singleton, 2008; LeFevre et al, 2010). This is supported by Vukovic and Lesaux (2013), who linked verbal ability to arithmetic skills indirectly through symbolic numbering, arguing that general verbal ability is significant for children’s understanding and reasoning with numbers. The intricate link between language and music (Patel, 2003, 2012; Jackendoff, 2009; Jäncke, 2012) has been discussed in numerous studies (e.g., Milovanov et al, 2008; Dogil and Reiterer, 2009; Milovanov et al, 2009; Milovanov and Tervaniemi, 2011; Chobert and Besson, 2013; Vangehuchten et al, 2015), relating musical ability to vocabulary learning (Milovanov et al, 2008, 2009; Milovanov, 2009), the processing of non-native speech sounds (Slevc and Miyake, 2006; Kempe et al, 2015) and speech rhythm perception (Magne et al, 2016).…”

Time processing impairments in preschoolers at risk of developing difficulties in mathematics

“…Quantity comparison from the SNUP battery (Tobia, Bonifacci, & Marzocchi, in preparation; see also Tobia, Bonifacci, & Marzocchi, ; Bonifacci, Tobia, Bernabini, & Marzocchi, ): In this task, the children were asked to quickly indicate the box containing a greater number of elements by choosing between two illustrated baskets of fruit. The number of fruits varied from 3 to 20, and numerical distance between sets was from 1 to 6 units.…”