Working Memory, Number Sense, and Arithmetical Performance
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Abstract
The literature discusses the relationships between working memory (WM) and mathematical performance, but the results regarding which components of WM are most influential to numerical competence are still controversial. The correlations between number sense (NS) and WM are recent. The present study aimed at correlating (Spearman) the WM capacity (central executive component – numerical and non-numerical information; and phonological – memory for digits, sentences, short stories), the arithmetical performance (TDE arithmetic subtest) and the NS (Number Knowledge Test). The research involved 79 students, from the 4th to the 7th year of elementary school, with average and below average performance in arithmetic. A better performance in the central executive component correlated to a better performance in NS and arithmetic. We did not observe the same relation for the phonological component. Educational implications result from expanding knowledge in this area. We emphasize the importance of a more significant uniformity in the instruments that assess these domains.
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