Poster #11 - Domain-General and Domain-Specific Language Skills as Associates of Early Numeracy Skills in Danish Children

• In Event: Poster Session 06

Abstract

Although language and mathematical skills are often viewed as representing distinct cognitive dimensions, they are closely related early in development. Although early numeracy skills have been found to be the domain that is most predictive of later math achievement (Nguyen et al., 2016), recent research also suggests that early numeracy skills are not acquired independently from other cognitive skills and are associated with general language and emergent literacy skills (Purpura & Ganley, 2014; Purpura et al., 2011). Beyond the association with total vocabulary, which was the focus of the studies just cited, there is a subset of words with special relevance for mathematics (Purpura and Reid, 2016) including words for understanding and correct use of number words (e.g., one, two), quantitative words (e.g., more, less), spatial relations words (e.g., above, beneath) etc. In the period prior to schooling, these aspects of vocabulary would appear to be foundational for later mathematics. However, the precise link between the learning of math vocabulary and the emergence of different types of mathematical skills is not clear, in part because measures of math vocabulary may also serve as a proxy for general language comprehension and cognitive skills. Research linking early literacy skills with numeracy skills is at this point limited in quantity and mixed in its findings. Current research about language predictors of early numeracy skills is primarily almost entirely based on children in the from the U. S. (United States), though there is growing interest in other countries (e.g., in Belgium [Mutaf et al., 2018)], in Germany [Seitz et al., 2022] and in the Netherlands [Toll & Van Luit, 2014]). Most studies have utilized only small samples, and often have focused specifically on low-SES/low performing children.

In this study we will explore the relation between early numeracy and general vocabulary, math vocabulary, pre-literacy skills, which have all been related to different aspects of mathematical development (Espinas & Fuchs, 2022). A relatively population-representative sample of 2931 Danish children aged 3 through 6 years (51% male, 11% children in immigrant families) was assessed on measures of overall receptive vocabulary, math vocabulary, rhyme detection, and early numeracy development. Although Danish children scored lower on numeracy than children in the United States, there were only negligible differences in math vocabulary. Females scored significantly higher on overall vocabulary, but there were no gender differences on numeracy or math vocabulary. Significant correlations were found between parental background measures (education, income) and all four developmental measures. Multiple multi-level regressions controlling for parental education, income and ethnicity confirmed that general vocabulary, math vocabulary, and rhyme detection entered in that order each contributed significantly to the statistical prediction of numeracy. Extremes analysis suggest that general vocabulary is a strong, but not sufficient condition for math vocabulary, whereas math vocabulary and numeracy appear to be closely coupled with likely bidirectional influence. In conclusion, general vocabulary development contributes substantially to early numeracy skills, and mathematics-relevant vocabulary makes a significant additional contribution. Furthermore, rhyme detected also predict numeracy skills, but with a lower magnitude.

Authors

• Dorthe Bleses, Aarhus
  Presenting Author

• David James Purpura, Purdue University, West Lafayette

• Philip S Dale, University of New Mexico