Symbolic magnitude processing in elementary school children: A group administered paper-and-pencil measure (SYMP Test)

Abstract

The ability to compare symbolic numerical magnitudes correlates with children's concurrent and future mathematics achievement. We developed and evaluated a quick timed paper-and-pencil measure that can easily be used, for example in large-scale research, in which children have to cross out the numerically larger of two Arabic one-and two-digit numbers (SYMP Test). We investigated performance on this test in 1,588 primary school children (Grades 1-6) and examined in each grade its associations with mathematics achievement. The SYMP Test had satisfactory test-retest reliability. The SYMP Test showed significant and stable correlations with mathematics achievement for both one-digit and two-digit comparison, across all grades. This replicates the previously observed association between symbolic numerical magnitude processing and mathematics achievement, but extends it by showing that the association is observed in all grades in primary education and occurs for single-as well as multi-digit processing. Children with mathematical learning difficulties performed significantly lower on one-digit comparison and two-digit comparison in all grades. This all suggests satisfactory construct and criterionrelated validity of the SYMP Test, which can be used in research, when performing large-scale (intervention) studies, and by practitioners, as screening measure to identify children at risk for mathematical difficulties or dyscalculia.

Symbolic Processing Mediates the Relation Between Non-symbolic Processing and Later Arithmetic Performance

“…Although a strong association between performance in singleand two-digit comparison tasks was found in the present study (see also Brankaer et al, 2017), these tasks appear to measure distinct constructs and contribute differently to the prediction of arithmetic performance. Future studies on the development of arithmetic should therefore ideally include both single-and multi-digit number processing tasks.…”

“…In addition, it might also be important to differentiate between distinct subcomponents of symbolic processing, in particular single-and multi-digit number processing. There is increasing evidence suggesting that multi-digit number processing differs from single-digit processing and is acquired later in development (Brankaer et al, 2017). Moreover, it has been proposed that single-digit number processing constitutes a necessary first step, while additional specific processes, such as place-value knowledge, are required to fully understand multi-digit numbers (Nuerk et al, 2015).…”

Taking Language out of the Equation: The Assessment of Basic Math Competence Without Language

“…This resulted in two separate measures: one for counting (oral) and one for transcoding ability (written). SYMP (Symbolic magnitude processing test) (Brankaer et al, 2017 ): a standardized measure of symbolic number comparison performance (1- and 2-digit, ranging from 1 to 10 and from 12 to 99, respectively). It includes a motor speed control task requiring participants to cross out the black shape in pairs of black/white shapes.…”

“…The tasks we developed encompass and measure all the above competencies: Quantity representation, ordering abilities as well as symbolic and non-symbolic arithmetic. We chose to add a quantity comparison task as it has been found to be one of the most consistent predictors of later math performance (e.g., De Smedt et al, 2009 ; Sasanguie et al, 2012 ; Nosworthy et al, 2013 ; Brankaer et al, 2017 ; see Schneider et al, 2017 for a meta-analysis). Instead of using verbal instructions, we convey task requirements with the use of videos that show successful task completion and interactions with the tasks from a first-person point of view.…”

Is the long-term association between symbolic numerical magnitude processing and arithmetic bi-directional?

“…Paper-and-pencil task -We used a paper-and-pencil task that was recently developed by Brankaer, Ghesquière, and De Smedt (2017) to collectively assess children's symbolic numerical magnitude processing at the end of primary education. We opted for a group-based version of the symbolic comparison task, because strict testing time limits were allowed by the schools at this point in time.…”