The relationship between phonological processing and arithmetic in children with learning disabilities

Abstract

Phonological processing skills have not only been shown to be important for reading skills, but also for arithmetic skills. Specifically, previous research in typically developing children has suggested that phonological processing skills may be more closely related to arithmetic problems that are solved through fact retrieval (e.g., remembering the solution from memory) than procedural computation (e.g., counting). However, the relationship between phonological processing and arithmetic in children with learning disabilities (LDs) has not been investigated. Yet, understanding these relationships in children with LDs is especially important because it can help elucidate the cognitive underpinnings of math difficulties, explain why reading and math disabilities frequently co‐occur, and provide information on which cognitive skills to target for interventions. In 63 children with LDs, we examined the relationship between different phonological processing skills (phonemic awareness, phonological memory, and rapid serial naming) and arithmetic. We distinguished between arithmetic problems that tend to be solved with fact retrieval versus procedural computation to determine whether phonological processing skills are differentially related to these two arithmetic processes. We found that phonemic awareness, but not phonological memory or rapid serial naming, was related to arithmetic fact retrieval. We also found no association between any phonological processing skills and procedural computation. These results converge with prior research in typically developing children and suggest that phonemic awareness is also related to arithmetic fact retrieval in children with LD. These results raise the possibility that phonemic awareness training might improve both reading and arithmetic fact retrieval skills. Research Highlights Relationships between phonological processing and various arithmetic skills were investigated in children with learning disabilities (LDs) for the first time. We found phonemic awareness was related to arithmetic involving fact retrieval, but not to arithmetic involving procedural computation in LDs. The results suggest that phonemic awareness is not only important to skilled reading, but also to some aspects of arithmetic. These results raise the question of whether intervention in phonemic awareness might improve arithmetic fact retrieval skills.

Neurocognitive mechanisms of co‐occurring math difficulties in dyslexia: Differences in executive function and visuospatial processing

“…As mental representations of numbers and math facts may be linguistic in nature (De Smedt, 2018; Dehaene, 1992), their rapid retrieval may partially depend on phonological processing (Polspoel et al., 2017). Indeed phonemic awareness is correlated with math fact retrieval skills in children with learning disabilities (Matejko et al., 2022). Phonological challenges in RD may also impede mathematics because of children's reliance on phonological working memory (Simmons & Singleton, 2008; Swanson, 2020).…”

“…Phonological processing performance is correlated with early mathematical skills before formal schooling (Vanbinst et al., 2020; Viesel‐Nordmeyer et al., 2022) and has been identified as a shared risk factor for both RD and MD in 7—11‐year old children (Slot et al., 2016). The relation between phonology and arithmetic is also apparent in older children and adults, behaviorally and in the brain, for typically‐developing individuals (De Smedt & Boets, 2010; Evans et al., 2016; Hecht et al., 2001; Pollack & Ashby, 2018; Prado, 2018; Suárez‐Pellicioni et al., 2019) and those with RD (Evans et al., 2014; Matejko et al., 2022; Träff et al., 2017). Yet while many children with RD have poor phonological awareness, not all of these children struggle with math.…”

Neurocognitive risk factors for co-occurring math difficulties in dyslexia: Differences in executive function and visuospatial processing

“…Among 8-10 year old children, brain activation during a rhyme judgment in frontal and temporal regions associated with phonological processing and retrieval predicted gains in math fact retrieval two years later (Suárez-Pellicioni et al, 2019). The relation between phonological processing and arithmetic is also apparent in older children and adults, both behaviorally and in the brain networks, for typically-developing individuals (De Smedt & Boets, 2010;Evans et al, 2016;Hecht et al, 2001;Prado, 2018) and those with dyslexia (Evans et al, 2014;Matejko et al, 2022;Träff et al, 2017). Importantly, however, others find a limited association between phonology and arithmetic (Amland et al, 2021).…”

Understanding the role of working memory and phonological memory in mathematics and response to intervention for emergent bilingual kindergartners

“…Phonological Memory -Phonological memory relies on the phonological loop, which holds verbal stimuli for a period of time in short-term memory while information is maintained through rehearsal (Swanson et al, 2015). It is used in mathematical problem solving as phonological and numerical information is maintained and manipulated (Matejko et al, 2023;. Phonological memory is associated with mathematics tasks such as counting, double and single-digit computation, and retrieval of arithmetic tasks and procedures from long-term memory (De Smedt, 2022;Hecht et al, 2001;.…”