| Cognition readiness, both domain general factors and domain specific factors, play an important role in children’s development of mathematical ability in primary school. The present longitudinal study was designed to investigate cognitive precursors of mathematical ability which include mathematical reasoning and calculating ability in first grade. A total of179children were tested at both the beginning and end of first grades. At time1, we tested the children on the following cognitive factors:domain general factors including PASS cognitive processing, working memory span, and processing speed; domain specific factors including number sense and counting ability. Then, we tested the same children at time2on tests of mathematical reasoning and calculating ability. Multiple regressive analysis results indicated, in first grade:1. There are significant correlations between processes of PASS and mathematical ability including mathematical reasoning and calculating, different cognitive processes of PASS differently predicting different kinds of mathematical ability. Simultaneous processing in PASS model predicted unique variance in mathematical reasoning, the other processes have indirect influences on mathematical ability;2. Working memory span predict unique variance in mathematical reasoning; processing speed predict unique variance in calculating ability significantly,3. Number sense and counting ability predict unique variance in mathematical ability;4. Domain general factors compel with domain specific factors have direct influences on mathematical ability. |
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