eprintid: 1538697 rev_number: 24 eprint_status: archive userid: 608 dir: disk0/01/53/86/97 datestamp: 2017-08-18 14:45:43 lastmod: 2020-02-12 19:53:46 status_changed: 2017-08-18 14:45:43 type: article metadata_visibility: show creators_name: Cowan, RCJ title: Why children differ in their mathematical attainment at primary school? ispublished: pub divisions: UCL divisions: A01 divisions: B16 divisions: B14 divisions: J79 keywords: Mathematic competence; procedural knowledge; conceptual knowledge; basic calculation note: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. abstract: Children differ considerably in their mathematical attainment in primary school. This paper reviews studies indicating the importance of socioeconomic status and heredity before considering basic calculation, the addition of single digit numbers and corresponding subtractions. Basic calculation proficiency varies with more general mathematical attainment. Delayed development of basic calculation proficiency is common in groups of children making slow progress in number whether or not they are also delayed in reading. Basic calculation might be important for mathematical development because it underpins arithmetic. Alternatively basic calculation might simply be a marker for mathematical development because the same factors affect its development as affect mathematical development. These factors include specific numerical ones such as counting and general cognitive factors such memory functioning, processing speed, language and intelligence. Finally practice is suggested to be as relevant to explaining differences in mathematical development as it is for other areas of expertise date: 2008-12 publisher: Universidad de Murcia official_url: http://revistas.um.es/analesps/article/view/42691 oa_status: green full_text_type: pub language: eng primo: open primo_central: open_green article_type_text: Article verified: verified_manual elements_id: 1060059 lyricists_name: Cowan, Richard lyricists_id: RCJCO60 actors_name: Cowan, Richard actors_id: RCJCO60 actors_role: owner full_text_status: public publication: Anales de Psicologia volume: 24 number: 2 pagerange: 180-188 pages: 9 issn: 1695-2294 citation: Cowan, RCJ; (2008) Why children differ in their mathematical attainment at primary school? Anales de Psicologia , 24 (2) pp. 180-188. Green open access document_url: https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1538697/3/Cowan_42691-186361-2-PB.pdf