Math problem-solving and cognition among emerging bilingual children at risk and not at risk for math difficulties

ABSTRACT

Cognitive processes that underlie individual differences in mathematical problem-solution accuracy in elementary emerging bilingual children (English Learners) at risk and not at risk for math problem-solving difficulties (MD) were examined. A battery of tests was administered in both English and Spanish that assessed problem-solving, achievement, and cognitive processing in children in first (N = 155/MD N = 23), second (N = 129/MD N = 44) and third grades (N = 110/MD N = 39). The results were that (a) the executive component of working memory (WM) predicted MD status independent of measures of fluid intelligence, reading, calculation, knowledge of algorithms, processing speed, short-term memory, and inhibition, (b) low performance on Spanish measures of numeracy and executive component of WM were major predictors of the odds of being classified as MD and (c) bilingual proficiency primarily moderated English rather than Spanish measures of cognition. The results support the notion that the executive system of WM is an important predictor of emerging bilingual children’s math problem-solving difficulties.

KEYWORDS:

• Executive processing
• working memory
• math word problems
• English learners
• cross-sectional

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

¹ The literature is unclear as to what terms appropriately capture our sample (e.g., English language learners, English learners, limited English-proficient, balance vs. unbalanced bilingual, emerging bilinguals). We used the term English learner (EL) to align with the literature, but realize the sample is best described as emerging bilinguals to emphasize children’s strengths as well as their language proficiency. English learner status in this study was determined by a state and district-wide test that assesses ELs in the following areas: listening, speaking, reading and writing.

² One framework to capture executive processing in emerging bilingual children is Baddeley’s multicomponent WM model (Baddeley & Logie, 1999). The multicomponent model characterizes WM as comprising a central executive controlling system that interacts with a set of two subsidiary storage systems: the speech-based phonological loop and the visual-spatial sketchpad. According to Baddeley (Baddeley, 2012; Baddeley & Logie, 1999), the central executive coordinates the two systems, focusing and switching attention, and activating representations within long-term memory (LTM). The three component model has been revised to include an episodic buffer (Baddeley, 2012), but support for the tripartite model has been found across various age groups of children (Gathercole, Pickering, Ambridge, & Wearing, 2004; Gray et al., 2017). Thus, the current study will focus on the three components of WM consistent with Baddeley’s earlier model.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Science Foundation, Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings [1660828].