[MATHLINK] Symposium tomorrow, February 2!

[MCLS Trainee]

Dear MCLS Community,

Please be sure to join us for our first symposium of 2021 “*The nature of
mathematical difficulties: Implications for education and
intervention*” *tomorrow
Tuesday, February 2 at 9am EST // 2pm GMT*. We’re looking forward to
presentations from Ann Dowker (Oxford University, England), Elien Bellon
(KU Leuven, Belgium), Flavia Santos (Dublin University, Ireland), and Tuire
Koponen (University of Jyväskylä, Finland)!

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Topic: MCLS Symposium Feb 2, 2021
Time: Feb 2, 2021 09:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)


https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2258337242?pwd=eVhxaXhuSm96dHFKSWRQL1hWMDJFZz09


Meeting ID: 225 833 7242
Passcode: MCLS2020b (*note the new passcode!)
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A couple of additional announcements:

   - In light of the great turnout at our first workshop, we're assembling
   writing groups! If you'd like to take part in an MCLS writing group, please
   complete the survey here: https://forms.gle/DLKZ14pWf6qMz8Bg6.
   - The MCLS Slack is now to all! Come join the conversation:
   https://join.slack.com/t/the-mcls/shared_invite/zt-dvqxt6fq-RZFQIzVH0v8sM716NTMhew
   .

Finally, be sure to mark your calendars for our upcoming events:
*Thursday, February 11 (11am EST)* - Understanding of mathematical
equivalence in elementary and middle school: Predictors and implications
*Tuesday, February 16 (6pm EST *note this time was incorrect in the last
email*) *- Longitudinal relations between executive functioning and math
learning
*Thursday, February 25 (11am EST // 2 hr workshop!) *- Online experiments
with children

Thanks!
The MCLS Training Board

*Abstract*
Mathematical difficulties are common. Severe specific difficulties with
number and arithmetic, which are sometimes described as ‘developmental
dyscalculia’, are estimated to occur in about 6% of the population. A far
larger number have less severe or less specific difficulties, which
nevertheless have serious impacts on them. It is important to understand
mathematical difficulties if we are to gain a better knowledge of how to
prevent or ameliorate them.

In this symposium, two talks will focus on the nature, characteristics and
predictors of mathematical ability and difficulties; one will focus on
intervention and one will focus on both.

Ann Dowker compared children classed by their teachers with mathematical
difficulties with unselected children. They were given two standardized
arithmetic tests, and also a test of both addition calculation and use of
derived fact strategies. Performance on addition calculation and selection
for mathematical difficulties had independent effects on the standardized
arithmetic tests. Addition performance level influenced derived fact
strategy use, but there was no independent effect of selection for
mathematical difficulties. This may mean either that derived fact strategy
use is dependent on arithmetical ability but not a specific feature of
mathematical difficulties, or that it is insufficiently considered when
teachers and others assess children as having mathematical difficulties.

Elien Bellon and colleagues. used a panel longitudinal design to
investigate arithmetic achievement, mathematics anxiety and metacognitive
monitoring skills in 127 second graders (7-8- year-olds) and followed them
up one year later (in third grade). This enabled a fine-grained analysis of
the concurrent and longitudinal relationships between arithmetic,
mathematics anxiety and metacognitive monitoring, giving some insights into
the origins of mathematical abilities and difficulties.

Flavia Santos and colleagues will talk about one intervention that has been
used with both typically developing and dyscalculic children: the
Calcularis adaptive software., devised by Karin Kucian and colleagues. It
has been previously found to improve aspects of mathematics after 24
sessions. A Randomised Controlled Trial allocated 66 children between 8 and
10, with a diagnosis of developmental dyscalculia, to three groups: a
Calcularis group; a group with similar but non-adaptive software and a
business-as-usual group. The intervention groups attended 20 training
sessions in small groups at schools. Seven weeks after training, the
Calcularis group performed better than the controls on a variety of number
tasks, indicating that a shorter protocol than the original one boosted
math’s performance in children with developmental dyscalculia.
Even highly effective interventions are usually found to be more effective
with some children than others. Tuire Koponen has investigated the factors
involved in dysfluency in arithmetic and responsiveness to fluency
interventions. She here reviews findings from findings of several
longitudinal studies examining numerical and non-numerical cognitive
predictors of arithmetic fluency/dysfluency, and of responsiveness to
interventions to improve fluency.

Thus, the symposium addresses the factors involved in arithmetical
difficulties, and how this knowledge may be used to develop interventions
that will be maximally effective.