Browsing by Subject "mathematical problem-solving"

The main aim of the study was to examine how reading fluency and early numeracy skills contribute to mathematical problem-solving skills in second graders. The effects of family and school socioeconomic status (SES) on these skills were also examined. The mathematical problem-solving skills of 145 second graders from varied schools were evaluated along with their reading fluency and early numeracy (arithmetic fluency, number sense). Participants’ family SES was also investigated. The results of path modelling showed that mathematical problem-solving requires both reading fluency and early numeracy skills. The results also confirmed that mother’s educational background is related to early numeracy skills, and that language spoken at home is related to reading fluency and indirectly to mathematical problem-solving via reading fluency. The path model revealed no differences between the schools. The study findings indicate that reading fluency contributes strongly to mathematical problem-solving skills in second grade Finnish students.