Bert De Smedt

- We are currently evaluating the impact of interventions that support mathematical language at the preschool age (including storybook interventions, teacher professional development programs, parent training at home). Stay tuned! (8/8)

- Our data emphasize the critical role of mathematical language in supporting children's mathematical development.

- Our data point to a uni-directional association between mathematical language and mathematical skills. (7/8)

- Mathematical skills did not predict subsequent mathematical language. (6/8)

- We found that mathematical language, particularly spatial language (before, after), uniquely predicted later mathematical skills. This was particularly true for children's numerical competencies and their measurement skills. (5/8)

- We measured children's mathematical language and various mathematical abilities at two time points that were about 8 months apart. (4/8)

- To solve this problem, we collected longitudinal data in 134 children aged 4-5-year-old.

- Less is know about its chicken-and-egg-question. (2/8)

- We know that preschoolers understanding of mathematical language (more, less, few, after) is important for their mathematical development. (1/8)

Correct link here: authors.elsevier.com/a/1k-0a3irP4...

New from the lab: "From language to mathematics and vice versa?: A longitudinal study on the associations between preschoolers’ mathematical language and mathematical abilities" Free access via this link 👇 lnkd.in/em8CHkQr with Eylül Turan, PhD

Bert De Smedt on LinkedIn: #kuleuven #600jaarkuleuven Benieuwd naar wat wij allemaal aan #KULEUVEN uitspoken. Kom ons zaterdag of zondag bezoeken op #600jaarKULeuven in Huis Jeanne De Vos. Welkom!

www.linkedin.com/posts/bert-d...

With the wonderful Floor Vandecruys & Maaike Vandermosten.

This overlap potentially reflects one of their many shared mechanisms (e.g., reliance on phonological codes or the processing of visual symbols) and these mechanisms should be exploited in future studies. (8/8)

These findings suggest that, already before the start of formal schooling, the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus might be related to the neural overlap between mathematics and reading. (7/8)

We found an association between the bilateral inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus and precursors of mathematics (numerical ordering, numeral knowledge) and reading (phonological awareness, letter knowledge). These association were neither specific to mathematics nor specific to reading. (6/8)

Participants were 56 5-year-old children (Mage = 67 months; SD = 1.8), none of which received formal instruction, who all completed tasks that measured precursors of mathematics and reading. (5/8)

We investigated for the first time before the start of formal school entry the associations between white matter tracts and precursors of mathematics and reading simultaneously. We also investigated whether these associations were specific to mathematics and to reading, or not. (4/8)

Brain imaging studies on mathematics and reading are typically investigated in siloed research field but in view of their strong co-development, we studied them simultaneously in one sample. (3/8)

We collected diffusion-weighted brain imaging data in 5-year-olds before they go to school. This was done to study individual differences in brain anatomy and their association with precursors of academic abilities without influences of formal mathematics and reading instruction. (2/8)

New from the lab! And 50 day free access here authors.elsevier.com/c/1iqFa2VHYC... – On the association between white matter and precursors of math and reading in 5-year-olds before the start of formal schooling (1/8)

It's not too late but the deadline for IMBES/EARLI SIG22 symposium and poster submissions is fast approaching! Check out imbes2024.org. Deadline is February 1st, 2024. Come join us in Leuven!

Registration and submissions for the 2024 IMBES meeting are both open! You can register at the Early Bird rate until May 1st, 2024 (imbes2024.org/registration/). Abstract submission deadline is February 1st, 2024. Come join us in Leuven!

I’m going to Leuven too —submit! Join us 😊 #IMBES2024

We are currently focusing on experiments on metacognitive monitoring and control (as operationalizations of cognitive regulation) in academic tasks (not unexpectedly, mathematical ones) at various ages and at multiple levels.

I only realized it after I said it - lack of inhibitory control! - I will explain about the city reference - people in Flanders will know what I mean. I guess you have these stereotypes for British cities as well...

Fascinatingly, I had a similar reflection on my use of the word "b***" at some point... If it would happen in Flanders, I would mention the city where I was born (Aalst), and people would understand ;);)

New from the lab: on the importance of conceptual knowledge for children's (adaptive) strategy use in arithmetic link.springer.com/article/10.1... - resonates with pleas for basic (but adaptive!) knowledge in (math) education in view of latest PISA results.

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinterk... It is customary that Sinterklaas brings on the 6th of December toys and candy. In this case, for the students!

My teaching outfit for today.