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The influence of the place-value structure of the Arabic number ...

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correspond to <strong>the</strong> order <strong>of</strong> tens and units in symbolic <strong>Arabic</strong> notation this is detrimental for<br />

children developing a precise and accurate spatial representation <strong>of</strong> <strong>number</strong> magnitude. On a<br />

broader level, this is interesting as an accurate spatial representation <strong>of</strong> <strong>number</strong> magnitude<br />

seems to be a reliable predictor <strong>of</strong> actual ma<strong>the</strong>matics achievement as well as children’s<br />

ability to solve unknown arithmetic problems (Booth & Siegler, 2008).<br />

<strong>The</strong> <strong>influence</strong> <strong>of</strong> early <strong>place</strong>-<strong>value</strong> understanding on fur<strong>the</strong>r numerical development<br />

At this point and based on <strong>the</strong> observed <strong>influence</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>place</strong>-<strong>value</strong> <strong>structure</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

<strong>Arabic</strong> <strong>number</strong> system on <strong>the</strong> development <strong>of</strong> a spatial representation <strong>of</strong> <strong>number</strong> magnitude<br />

(cf. Moeller et al., 2009b; Study 3 <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> present <strong>the</strong>sis) <strong>the</strong> question arises whe<strong>the</strong>r early<br />

<strong>place</strong>-<strong>value</strong> knowledge itself may serve as a building block for fur<strong>the</strong>r numerical arithmetical<br />

development. This issue was pursued in Study 4 <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> current <strong>the</strong>sis in a longitudinal<br />

approach. As already described above, results indicated that early <strong>place</strong> <strong>value</strong> knowledge in<br />

first class (as operationalized by inversion errors committed in transcoding as well as by <strong>the</strong><br />

compatibility effect in a magnitude comparison task) reliably predicted performance in an<br />

addition task two years later in third grade. <strong>The</strong>reby, Study 4 provided first direct and<br />

longitudinal evidence for early <strong>place</strong>-<strong>value</strong> knowledge to determine <strong>the</strong> future development <strong>of</strong><br />

children’s numerical / arithmetical competencies. Apart from this very important finding<br />

Study 4 may be considered innovative for ano<strong>the</strong>r reason. <strong>The</strong> predictive <strong>value</strong> <strong>of</strong> early <strong>place</strong><br />

<strong>value</strong> understanding on later arithmetic performance could be specified in an effect based<br />

approach. <strong>The</strong>rein, it is not overall performance in third grade addition that is predicted by<br />

overall performance in magnitude comparison and transcoding assessed in first grade. Instead,<br />

specific measures reflecting <strong>the</strong> accuracy <strong>of</strong> processes <strong>of</strong> <strong>place</strong>-<strong>value</strong> integration in addition<br />

(i.e., <strong>the</strong> <strong>number</strong> <strong>of</strong> errors in carry addition problems and <strong>the</strong> carry effect) were reliably<br />

predicted by inversion transcoding errors and <strong>the</strong> compatibility effect, again being a measure<br />

<strong>of</strong> processes <strong>of</strong> <strong>place</strong>-<strong>value</strong> integration. Thus, Study 4 suggested a persistent <strong>influence</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />

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