Retrieval of Simple Addition Facts Complexities Involved in Addressing a Commonly Identified Mathematical Learning Difficulty

• Published in: Journal of learning disabilities Vol. 42; no. 3; pp. 215 - 229
• Main Authors: Hopkins, Sarah, Egeberg, Helen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.05.2009; SAGE Publications and Hammill Institute on Disabilities; Sage Publications; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Academic underachievement; Achievement; Achievement Gains; Addition; Addition & subtraction; Adolescent; Arithmetic; Australia; Basic Skills; Biological and medical sciences; Child clinical studies; Cognition & reasoning; Counting; Developmental disorders; Drills (Practice); Female; Foreign Countries; Grade 8; Humans; Improvement Programs; Information processing; Intervention; Learning disabilities; Learning disorders; Learning Disorders - diagnosis; Learning Disorders - psychology; Learning Disorders - therapy; Learning Problems; Low Achievement; Male; Mathematical Aptitude; Mathematics; Mathematics Achievement; Mathematics education; Medical sciences; Memory, Short-Term; Mental Recall; Meta Analysis; Mnemonics; Practice (Psychology); Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Reaction Time; Recall (Psychology); Reliance; Remedial Teaching - methods; Retrieval; Rote Learning; Secondary Schools; Special education; Special Needs Students; Statistical Distributions; Teaching Methods; Australia; United Kingdom > UK; simple addition; basic facts; retrieval; mathematical learning difficulties; Human; Memory retrieval; Arithmetics; Follow up study; Learning disability; Memory; Adolescent; Cognition; Mathematics; Thaught subject
• ISSN: 0022-2194; 1538-4780
• DOI: 10.1177/0022219408331041

There exists a substantial number of studies that have identified a subset of low-achieving mathematics students who do not develop a reliance on retrieval for simple addition but who continue to use a counting strategy to solve these problems. There are few studies, however, that have focused on how retrieval of simple addition facts may be improved. This study employed a combined methodological approach to examine the effect extended practice had on increasing a reliance on retrieval for simple addition. An intervention aimed at improving the efficiency of extended practice was also piloted. Although most students improved with extended practice, the extent of improvement was not practical for all students and the intervention did not generally improve the effectiveness of extended practice. The findings emphasize the critical importance of continuing such research and draw attention to the complexities involved in addressing retrieval difficulties for simple addition.