Associativity and understanding of the operation of addition in children with learning differences

This study sample consisted of children from two learning categories, learn ing disabled (LD, n = 27, (x) over bar = 9.08) and not identified as learni ng disabled (NLD, n = 42, (x) over bar = 7.46), who were individually teste d on three different mathematics tasks. The modified nonverbal task and the associativity of length task investigated the quality of students' structu res of organizing activity by noting the complexity of grouping relationshi ps abstracted among and between object sets (i.e., composite unit structure s). Additionally measured in these two tasks was response accuracy. The fla shcard task measured accuracy in response to the same number problems as in the modified nonverbal task as well as strategy type used. However, the st rategies scored on the flashcard task were indicative of explicitly taught procedures regardless of children's structures of organizing activity. Sign ificantly more NLD children abstracted composite unit structures suggestive of operational logic on the modified nonverbal and associativity of length tasks, although there were no significant differences in the rate of succe ss on the modified nonverbal task. On the flashcard task, there were no sig nificant differences between the two soups on strategy type used, although the LD children achieved seater success. These results suggest that althoug h children state correct answers on the flashcard and modified nonverbal ta sks, they may be reflecting on the tasks using thought structures that are not yet operational.