Have you ever heard somebody say "I was never good at math" or "I'm not a numbers person"? Some people think of themselves as either a numbers person or more language oriented. But they probably would never think that knowing basic math skills actually helps them in reading and language arts.
In the latest EdBits video, education expert Deepa Srikantaiah explains findings by Dr. Greg J. Duncan from a 2007 study to understand how school readiness in reading and mathematics can impact later school achievement. School readiness in a child is the developmental state that allows them to engage in and benefit from kindergarten learning experiences.
Here's what Duncan and his team found:
- School readiness in reading is a strong predictor of how students perform in reading later in school. → Makes sense!
- School readiness in mathematics is a strong predictor of how students perform in mathematics later on. → Makes sense!
- School readiness in reading does not impact how well a student performs in mathematics later on. → Makes sense!
Now here's the twist:
School readiness in mathematics impacts how students perform in reading, and is even a stronger predictor of how students will perform in reading than school readiness in reading!
Deepa argues that appropriate early mathematics instruction is instrumental in ensuring children perform well in both reading and numeracy later in life.