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RESUMEN Introducción: La competencia en matemáticas se encuentra relacionada con el desarrollo de habilidades básicas para el procesamiento numérico (simbólico y no simbólico) desde etapas tempranas del desarrollo y antes de la escolarización formal. Existe evidencia a favor de que el ambiente del hogar proporciona experiencias que facilitan la adquisición de habilidades específicas relacionadas con las matemáticas. Objetivo: Identificar actividades y estilos de relación presentes en el marco familiar que son buenos predictores del procesamiento numérico y el rendimiento aritmético de niños preescolares cubanos. Método: Entre septiembre y noviembre de 2019 se evaluaron 82 preescolares cubanos y sus padres a través de un estudio no experimental de tipo transeccional, con un carácter descriptivo-correlacional. Los instrumentos utilizados fueron el Numeracy Screener y Cuestionario para Padres, ambos adaptados al contexto cubano en el Centro de Neurociencias de Cuba. Resultados: El desarrollo de habilidades específicas para el procesamiento numérico básico, en formato simbólico y no simbólico, predijo de forma significativa el rendimiento matemático en la muestra estudiada. Se confirmó que la presencia en el marco familiar de estilos de relación y actividades que incluyen contenido numérico y cuantitativo, favorece el desarrollo de habilidades para el procesamiento numérico en los niños preescolares. Conclusiones: Entre los factores más significativos se encontraron: escolaridad de los padres, sus experiencias y actitudes hacia las matemáticas y la frecuencia con que comparten prácticas formales numéricas con sus hijos en el hogar.
ABSTRACT Introduction: Competence in mathematics is related to the development of basic skills for number processing (symbolic and non-symbolic) from early stages of development and before formal schooling. There is evidence that the home environment provides experiences that facilitate the acquisition of specific math-related skills. Objective: To identify activities and relationship styles present in the family setting that are good predictors of numerical processing and arithmetic performance in Cuban preschool children. Method: Between September and November 2019, 82 Cuban preschoolers and their parents were evaluated through a non-experimental transactional study, with a descriptive-correlational nature. The instruments used were the Numeracy Screener and Parent Questionnaire, both adapted to the Cuban context at the Centro de Neurociencias de Cuba. Results: The development of specific skills for basic numerical processing, in symbolic and non-symbolic format, significantly predicted mathematical performance in the sample studied. It was confirmed that the presence in the family of relationship styles and activities that include numerical and quantitative content favors the development of numerical processing skills in preschool children. Conclusions: Among the most significant factors found were: parental education, their experiences and attitudes towards mathematics and the frequency with which they share formal numerical practices with their children at home.
RESUMO Introdução: A competência em matemática está relacionada ao desenvolvimento de habilidades básicas para processamento de números (simbólicos e não simbólicos) desde as fases iniciais do desenvolvimento e antes da escolarização formal. Há evidências de que o ambiente domiciliar proporciona experiências que facilitam a aquisição de habilidades específicas relacionadas à matemática. Objetivo: Identificar atividades e estilos de relacionamento presentes no ambiente familiar que sejam bons preditores de processamento numérico e desempenho aritmético em crianças pré-escolares cubanas. Método: Entre setembro e novembro de 2019, 82 pré-escolares cubanos e seus pais foram avaliados por meio de um estudo transacional não experimental, de natureza descritivo-correlacional. Os instrumentos utilizados foram o Numeracy Screener e o Parent Questionnaire, ambos adaptados ao contexto cubano no Centro de Neurociencias de Cuba. Resultados: O desenvolvimento de habilidades específicas para processamento numérico básico, em formato simbólico e não simbólico, predisse significativamente o desempenho matemático na amostra estudada. Confirmou-se que a presença na família de estilos de relacionamento e atividades que incluem conteúdos numéricos e quantitativos favorece o desenvolvimento de habilidades de processamento numérico em crianças pré-escolares. Conclusiones: Entre os fatores mais significativos foram encontrados: a educação dos pais, suas experiências e atitudes em relação à matemática e a frequência com que compartilham práticas numéricas formais com seus filhos em casa.
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Number processing is a cognitive domain particularly sensitive to prenatal alcohol exposure, which relies on intact parietal functioning. Alcohol-related alterations in brain activation have been found in the parietal lobe during symbolic number processing. However, the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on the neural correlates of non-symbolic number comparison and the numerical distance effect have not been investigated. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we examined differences in brain activation associated with prenatal alcohol exposure in five parietal regions involved in number processing during a non-symbolic number comparison task with varying degrees of difficulty. fMRI results are presented for 27 Cape Colored children (6 fetal alcohol syndome (FAS)/partial FAS, 5 heavily exposed (HE) non-sydromal, 16 controls; mean age ± SD = 11.7 ± 1.1 years). Fetal alcohol exposure was assessed by interviewing mothers using a timeline follow-back approach. Separate subject analyses were performed in each of five regions of interest, bilateral horizontal intraparietal sulci (IPS), bilateral posterior superior parietal lobules (PSPL), and left angular gyrus (left AG), using the general linear model with predictors for number comparison and difficulty level. Mean percent signal change for each predictor was extracted for each subject for each region to examine group differences and associations with continuous measures of alcohol exposure. Although groups did not differ in performance, controls activated the right PSPL more during non-symbolic number comparison than exposed children, but this was not significant after controlling for maternal smoking, and the right IPS more than children with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) or partial FAS. More heavily exposed children recruited the left AG to a greater extent as task difficulty increased, possibly to compensate, in part, for impairments in function in the PSPL and IPS. Notably, in non-syndromal heavily exposed children activation was impaired in the right PSPL, but spared in the right IPS. These results extend previous findings of poor right IPS recruitment during symbolic number processing in FAS/PFAS, indicating that mental representation of relative quantity is affected by prenatal alcohol exposure for both symbolic and non-symbolic representations of quantity.
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Developmental Dyscalculia (DD) has long been thought to be a monolithic learning disorder that can be attributed to a specific neurocognitive dysfunction. However, recent research has increasingly recognized the heterogeneity of DD, where DD can be differentiated into subtypes in which the underlying cognitive deficits and neural dysfunctions may differ. The aim was to further understand the heterogeneity of developmental dyscalculia (DD) from a cognitive psychological perspective. Utilizing four children (8-9 year-old) we administered a comprehensive cognitive test battery that shed light on the cognitive-behavioral profile of each child. The children were compared against norm groups of aged-matched peers. Performance was then contrasted against predominant hypotheses of DD, which would also give insight into candidate neurocognitive correlates. Despite showing similar mathematical deficits, these children showed remarkable interindividual variability regarding cognitive profile and deficits. Two cases were consistent with the approximate number system deficit account and also the general magnitude-processing deficit account. These cases showed indications of having domain-general deficits as well. One case had an access deficit in combination with a general cognitive deficit. One case suffered from general cognitive deficits only. The results showed that DD cannot be attributed to a single explanatory factor. These findings support a multiple deficits account of DD and suggest that some cases have multiple deficits, whereas other cases have a single deficit. We discuss a previously proposed distinction between primary DD and secondary DD, and suggest hypotheses of dysfunctional neurocognitive correlates responsible for the displayed deficits.
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Relations between children's mathematics achievement and their basic number processing skills have been reported in both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. Yet, some key questions are currently unresolved, including which kindergarten skills uniquely predict children's arithmetic fluency during the first year of formal schooling and the degree to which predictors are contingent on children's level of arithmetic proficiency. The current study assessed kindergarteners' non-symbolic and symbolic number processing efficiency. In addition, the contribution of children's underlying magnitude representations to differences in arithmetic achievement was assessed. Subsequently, in January of Grade 1, their arithmetic proficiency was assessed. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that children's efficiency to compare digits, count, and estimate numerosities uniquely predicted arithmetic differences above and beyond the non-numerical factors included. Moreover, quantile regression analysis indicated that symbolic number processing efficiency was consistently a significant predictor of arithmetic achievement scores regardless of children's level of arithmetic proficiency, whereas their non-symbolic number processing efficiency was not. Finally, none of the task-specific effects indexing children's representational precision was significantly associated with arithmetic fluency. The implications of the results are 2-fold. First, the findings indicate that children's efficiency to process symbols is important for the development of their arithmetic fluency in Grade 1 above and beyond the influence of non-numerical factors. Second, the impact of children's non-symbolic number processing skills does not depend on their arithmetic achievement level given that they are selected from a nonclinical population.