The Number Race: A Game to Help Kids with Math Difficulties
Author Information
Author(s): Anna J. Wilson, Susannah K. Revkin, David Cohen, Laurent Cohen, Stanislas Dehaene
Primary Institution: INSERM-CEA Unit 562 « Cognitive Neuroimaging »
Hypothesis
Dyscalculia is due to a core deficit in number sense or its access via symbolic information.
Conclusion
The software showed promising results in improving number sense in children with dyscalculia, but further studies are needed.
Supporting Evidence
- Children showed specific increases in performance on core number sense tasks.
- Subtraction accuracy increased by an average of 23%.
- Speed of subitizing and numerical comparison improved significantly.
Takeaway
This study tested a computer game designed to help kids who struggle with math, and it seemed to help them get better at understanding numbers.
Methodology
Children completed adaptive training on numerical tasks for half an hour a day, four days a week over five weeks, with pre- and post-testing on their performance.
Potential Biases
The absence of a control group raises concerns about potential biases in the observed effects.
Limitations
The study had a small sample size and lacked a control group, which limits the generalizability of the results.
Participant Demographics
Children aged 7-9 years with mathematical difficulties, primarily from three schools in Paris.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.03
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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