The relations between phonological processing abilities and emerging individual differences in mathematical computation skills: A longitudinal study from second to fifth grades

The primary purpose of this longitudinal correlational study was to examine relations between phonological processing abilities and emerging individua l differences in math computation skills and also to investigate the source of covariation between reading and math computation skills in a random sam ple (n = 201). Phonological memory, rate of access to phonological codes in long-term memory, and phonological awareness were uniquely associated with growth in estimated total number of computation procedures mastered (gener al computation skills) from 92.5 to 134.8 months in age, although the contr ibutions of the first two abilities were developmentally limited. Phonologi cal processing almost completely accounted for the associations between rea ding and general computation skills. Evidence of bidirectional relations be tween general computation skills and simple arithmetic problem solving spee d was found. (C) 2001 Academic Press.