ARITHMETIC DISABILITIES WITH AND WITHOUT READING DIFFICULTIES - A COMPARISON OF ARITHMETIC ERRORS

Arithmetic errors of 80 children with arithmetic disabilities, represe nting 3% of a population-based sample, and of 80 sex- and age-matched control children were systematically analyzed. In Analysis 1, covarian ce structure modeling (LISREL) was applied to analyze relations betwee n reading, as measured by text reading accuracy and speed, and arithme tic error types. The results demonstrated that reading accuracy and sp eed were connected to errors in multiplication fact retrieval. In Anal ysis 2, a classification of children with arithmetic disabilities into subgroups by reading accuracy and speed difficulties revealed that ch ildren with dysfluent reading made more fact-retrieval errors than did children in the control group or the children with arithmetic disabil ities and normal reading speed. Results indicate that difficulties in arithmetic fact retrieval and difficulties in reading speed may share a common underlying factor.