Severity of specific language impairment predicts delayed development in number skills

Abstract

The extent to which mathematical development is dependent upon language is controversial. This longitudinal study investigates the role of language ability in children's development of number skills. Participants were 229 children with specific language impairment (SLI) who were assessed initially at age 7 and again 1 year later. All participants completed measures of psycholinguistic development (expressive and receptive), performance IQ, and the Basic Number Skills subtest of the British Ability Scales. Number skills data for this sample were compared with normative population data. Consistent with predictions that language impairment would impact on numerical development, average standard scores were more than 1 SD below the population mean at both ages. Although the children showed improvements in raw scores at the second wave of the study, the discrepancy between their scores and the population data nonetheless increased over time. Regression analyses showed that, after controlling for the effect of PIQ, language skills explained an additional 19 and 17% of the variance in number skills for ages 7 and 8, respectively. Furthermore, logistic regression analyses revealed that less improvement in the child's language ability over the course of the year was associated with a greater odds of a drop in performance in basic number skills from 7 to 8 years. The results are discussed in relation to the interaction of linguistic and cognitive factors in numerical development and the implications for mathematical education.

Role of Parent Literacy and Numeracy Expectations and Activities in Predicting Early Numeracy Skills

“…Although there is a debate on the role of language in mathematics, the trend seems to emerge toward a consensus that mathematical development partly depends on language (see Durkin, Mok, & Conti-Ramsden, 2013 for a short overview). Indeed, next to cognitive child factors, linguistic abilities have also been found to be related to numeracy (Dehaene, Piazza, Pinel, & Cohen, 2003), and in fact predict mathematical abilities over time.…”

Children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI) Need Qualitatively Enriched Interactions to Successfully Partake in Mathematics Education

“…A longitudinal study of Durkin et al indicates that severity in SLI is closely related to mathematical deficits [3]. The authors demonstrated that those children with SLI who progressed less in their language compared to their peers within one school year also advanced less in their mathematical skills.…”

“…Specific developmental disorders of speech and language are often followed by associated problems, such as difficulties in reading and spelling (…)" [4]. Note that this definition does not mention mathematics although recent studies demonstrate the association of SLI with deficits in mathematical learning in many children [2] [3].…”

“…In addition to the association of severity in SLI and mathematical skills studies also reveal that higher language abilities are closely associated with the evolvement of mathematical skills [3].…”

Numerical Development - From cognitive functions to neural underpinnings

“…With respect to cross-domain influences LeFevre et al (2013) showed a reliable impact of children's spatial abilities on numerical skills. Additionally, Durkin et al (2013) observed that language ability is a unique predictor of actual and future numerical achievement. Getting closer to the domain of numerical cognition, Lafay et al (2013) found that finger counting may be useful but not necessary to develop accurate symbolic numerical competencies.…”