The Influence of Material Type and Quantity on Number Order Judgment in Children with Developmental Dyscalculia

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the influence of material type and quantity on number order judgment in children with developmental, and improve the number order cognition and mathematics learning of children. Methods: Using Arabic numerals, Chinese numerals, lattice numerals and material objects, 26 children with dyscalculia and 25 normal children were tested with the task of comparing number order. Results: In the correct number, whether it is a symbolic stimulus (Arabic numerals: F = 11.568, p = 0.001, η 2 = 0.147; Chinese numerals: F = 7.498, p = 0.008, η 2 = 0.101) or non-symbolic stimulus (dot matrix: F = 6.985, p = 0.010, η 2 = 0.094; material object: F = 7.781, p = 0.007, η 2 = 0.104), children with dyscalculia were significantly lower than normal children. In terms of completion time, compared with normal children, children with dyscalculia is obvious difference in symbolic stimulation (Arabic numerals: F = 4.972, p = 0.029, η 2 = 0.069; Chinese numeral: F = 7.155, p = 0.009, η 2 = 0.096), but there is no significant difference in non-symbolic stimuli. In dys-calculia children, the completion time of the small number of symbolic stimuli was better than that of the large number, while the large number of non-symbolic stimuli was faster than that of the small number. For both symbolic and non-symbolic stimuli in normal children, the completion time of a small amount of stimulus is better than that of a large amount of stimulus. Conclusion: The type and quantity of stimulus materials not only affect the number order judgment of children with dyscalculia, but also have a negative effect on the number distance effect.