Syntactic Awareness and Arithmetic Word Problem Solving in Children With and Without Learning Disabilities

Peake, Christian; Jimenez, Juan E.; Rodriguez, Cristina; Bisschop, Elaine; Villarroel, Rebeca

Abstract

Arithmetic word problem (AWP) solving is a highly demanding task for children with learning disabilities (LD) since verbal and mathematical information have to be integrated. This study examines specifically how syntactic awareness (SA), the ability to manage the grammatical structures of language, affects AWP solving. Three groups of children in elementary education were formed: children with arithmetic learning disabilities (ALD), children with reading learning disabilities (RLD), and children with comorbid arithmetic and reading learning disabilities (ARLD). Mediation analysis confirmed that SA was a mediator variable for both groups of children with reading disabilities when solving AWPs, but not for children in the ALD group. All groups performed below the control group in the problem solving task. When SA was controlled for, semantic structure and position of the unknown set were variables that affected both groups with ALD. Specifically, children with ALD only were more affected by the place of the unknown set.

Más información

Título según WOS: ID WOS:000362348400003 Not found in local WOS DB
Título de la Revista: JOURNAL OF LEARNING DISABILITIES
Volumen: 48
Número: 6
Editorial: SAGE PUBLICATIONS INC
Fecha de publicación: 2015
Página de inicio: 593
Página final: 601
DOI:

10.1177/0022219413520183

Notas: ISI