More than visual-spatial skills: The important role of phonological awareness in mathematical abilities among Chinese primary school children

Mathematical abilities are important for children's academic achievement during the primary education phase. Understanding which cognitive factors underlie individual differences in mathematics is essential to obtaining insights into children's mathematical development. This study explored the roles of phonological processing skills and visual-spatial skills in arithmetic, mathematical problem solving, and mathematical reasoning among primary school children. Two hundred and fifty-one primary school children (mean age: 8.31 +/- 0.89 years old), including 87 first graders, 83 s graders, and 81 third graders participated in this study. Children's rapid automatized naming was measured using a rapid digit naming task, and phonological awareness was measured with a character rhyming task. Additionally, children's visual perception was measured with a figure matching task, and mental rotation was measured with a 2D/3D mental rotation task. Children's mathematical abilities were measured with three mathematics tests: calculation task, mathematical problem solving task, and mathematical reasoning task. Regression analyses and Bayesian hypothesis testing showed that phonological awareness uniquely contributed to children's mathematical abilities, especially mathematical problem solving. The results suggest that phonological awareness serves as a key precursor of mathematical abilities during the primary education phase.