Visual perceptive skills account for very preterm children's mathematical difficulties in preschool.
Child
Follow-up studies
Mathematics
Prematurity
Preschool
Visual perception
Journal
Early human development
ISSN: 1872-6232
Titre abrégé: Early Hum Dev
Pays: Ireland
ID NLM: 7708381
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
02 2019
02 2019
Historique:
received:
04
10
2018
revised:
20
12
2018
accepted:
22
12
2018
pubmed:
31
12
2018
medline:
14
6
2019
entrez:
31
12
2018
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Already in preschool, very preterm (VP) children perform worse than term born-children on preschool mathematical skills tests. Strong associations have been found between preschool mathematical skills, cognition and visual-motor integration. To compare VP children and their term-born peers on preschool mathematical achievement at the corrected age of five years, and determine whether cognitive, visual-perceptive, visual-motor, and motor-coordination skills, account for any significant differences observed. Single-center, consecutive cohort study with a term-born comparison group. 54 five-year-old VP children and 28 term-born comparison children. Standardized test for preschool mathematical skills (Dutch pupil monitoring system), cognitive skills (Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale for Intelligence - third edition), visual-perception, visual-motor integration, and motor-coordination (Beery Visual-Motor Integration test - sixth edition). Group differences were analyzed with ANCOVAs, adjusting for maternal education, preschool grade, and time of assessment. Sobel's mediation analyses tested for possible mediation effects. Preschool mathematical skills and visual perceptive skills were significantly lower in VP children than in term-born children (Cohen's d = 0.63, p = 0.01; Cohen's d = 0.84, p < 0.01, respectively). Sobel's test indicated a significant mediating effect of visual perceptive skills on the association between VP birth and preschool mathematical skills. At preschool age, VP children have poorer preschool mathematical skills compared to term-born peers; deficits that were fully accounted for by poor visual perceptive skills. Our findings indicate the relevance of screening visual perceptive skills at preschool age, enabling timely identification of children at risk for mathematical difficulties.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
Already in preschool, very preterm (VP) children perform worse than term born-children on preschool mathematical skills tests. Strong associations have been found between preschool mathematical skills, cognition and visual-motor integration.
AIMS
To compare VP children and their term-born peers on preschool mathematical achievement at the corrected age of five years, and determine whether cognitive, visual-perceptive, visual-motor, and motor-coordination skills, account for any significant differences observed.
STUDY DESIGN
Single-center, consecutive cohort study with a term-born comparison group.
SUBJECTS
54 five-year-old VP children and 28 term-born comparison children.
OUTCOME MEASURES
Standardized test for preschool mathematical skills (Dutch pupil monitoring system), cognitive skills (Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale for Intelligence - third edition), visual-perception, visual-motor integration, and motor-coordination (Beery Visual-Motor Integration test - sixth edition). Group differences were analyzed with ANCOVAs, adjusting for maternal education, preschool grade, and time of assessment. Sobel's mediation analyses tested for possible mediation effects.
RESULTS
Preschool mathematical skills and visual perceptive skills were significantly lower in VP children than in term-born children (Cohen's d = 0.63, p = 0.01; Cohen's d = 0.84, p < 0.01, respectively). Sobel's test indicated a significant mediating effect of visual perceptive skills on the association between VP birth and preschool mathematical skills.
CONCLUSIONS
At preschool age, VP children have poorer preschool mathematical skills compared to term-born peers; deficits that were fully accounted for by poor visual perceptive skills. Our findings indicate the relevance of screening visual perceptive skills at preschool age, enabling timely identification of children at risk for mathematical difficulties.
Identifiants
pubmed: 30594822
pii: S0378-3782(18)30614-5
doi: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2018.12.018
pii:
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
11-15Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.