Improving Children's Math Skills with Working Memory Training
Author Information
Author(s): Witt Marcus
Primary Institution: School of Education Bath Spa University
Hypothesis
Can school-based working memory training improve children's mathematical performance?
Conclusion
The study found that children who received working memory training showed significant improvements in both working memory tasks and mathematical accuracy compared to a control group.
Supporting Evidence
- Children who received working memory training made significantly greater gains in trained tasks compared to a control group.
- The training group showed significant improvements in their mathematical functioning as measured by the number of errors made in an addition task.
- Working memory is a good predictor of mathematical skills in children.
Takeaway
This study shows that practicing memory skills can help kids do better in math, like making fewer mistakes when adding numbers.
Methodology
Children aged 9 to 10 years underwent a 6-week working memory training program focusing on the central executive, with pre- and post-tests comparing their performance to a matched control group.
Potential Biases
Potential Hawthorne effects may have influenced the results due to increased attention from the experimenter.
Limitations
The study's findings are preliminary and do not address the long-term durability of the improvements.
Participant Demographics
38 children aged 9 to 10 years, 15 males and 23 females from four state primary schools in the south west of England.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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