De fonologische lus in relatie tot getalbegrip: Verschillen in sekse

Abstract

Current research has observed whether or not the phonological loop is a unique predictor of mathematic skills in children. However, research has not yet investigated the role of the phonological loop in number sense in preschool children. In this study, the question was raised how the phonological loop is related to number sense and whether there is an influence of gender on these several aspects. The role of two aspects of the phonological loop was investigated: with respectively low and high levels of executive control. The number sense and the functioning of the phonological loop of 192 five- and six-year-old children were assessed. The results showed that after controlling for age, both the phonological loop with low and high levels of executive control were important predictors in children’s level of number sense. There were no gender differences observed in regards to number sense, the phonological loop or the relationship between these two aspects. The implications of this study are that it seems important to further investigate the relationship between number sense and the phonological loop for early identification of children at risk for math learning difficulties.