This is one reason the same word problem can feel dramatically harder when number facts are shaky: the child is solving the problem and rebuilding the basics at the same time.
More steps mean more to hold
Multi-step arithmetic and problem solving require temporary storage and manipulation of information, making working memory relevant to performance.[1]
Automatic knowledge changes the workload
Cognitive load theory predicts that well-learned schemas and accessible knowledge can reduce the need to process every element as new.[2]
What this means for your child
Working memory helps explain why secure foundations can make harder maths feel more manageable: fewer basic steps need to be rebuilt while the child is holding the rest of the problem in mind.[2]
صفحات Toku العلمية ذات الصلة
المراجع
- Mark H. Ashcraft & Jeremy A. Krause (2007). Working memory, math performance, and math anxiety. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review.
- John Sweller (1988). Cognitive load during problem solving: effects on learning. Cognitive Science.