The Development of Number Concepts in Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children

在过去的50多年里，研究已经证实，失聪和重听儿童（DHH）在数学成绩上落后于同龄的听力正常儿童，这种情况早在3岁时就开始了。对数学知识（计数、分数、几何概念、数字推理等）的评估显示，DHH儿童落后于听力正常的同龄人大约两年，这种滞后贯穿整个高中和成年期，可能限制DHH儿童未来在科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）方面的追求。虽然许多研究人员描述了DHH儿童在数学表现上的这些差异，但很少有人试图解释这些差异存在的原因。鉴于计算能力与学业、健康和经济成果之间的明显联系，确定这些困难的根源，以促进DHH儿童的计算能力至关重要。本研究的目的是告知我们对语言在数字概念学习中的作用的理解，同时为最大限度地提高DHH儿童数学学习的课程开发提供基础。本研究探讨了语言经验和能力在聋哑和重听儿童及其正常同龄人符号和非符号数字概念习得中的作用。通过对400名参与者进行的五项行为研究，本研究旨在描述DHH儿童相对于其听力同龄人的数学能力，并探讨有限的语言获取或能力是否可以解释观察到的数学困难。系列1将调查DHH和听力幼儿（18-30个月）单复数语言学习与小集合物体的数字跟踪能力之间的关系。系列2将探讨DHH和听力婴儿和儿童（7个月至5岁）非符号数能力的发展。系列3研究涉及6-12岁DHH和听力儿童的非符号和符号比例理解。这项工作的发现将为当前的数学认知理论提供信息，深入描述语言经验和能力在整个儿童时期的数字能力发展中所起的作用。该项目由探索研究preK-12项目（DRK-12）共同资助，该项目旨在通过研究和开发新的创新和方法来加强preK-12科学、技术、工程和数学的教学。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Over the last 50+ years research has established that deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) children fall behind their age-matched hearing peers in math achievement, starting as early as 3 years of age. Assessments of math knowledge (counting, fractions, geometrical concepts, number reasoning, etc.) have revealed DHH children fall behind their hearing peers by approximately two years, with lags remaining throughout high school and adulthood, potentially limiting DHH children’s future pursuits in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematical (STEM). While many researchers have described these differences in mathematical performance of DHH children, few have attempted to explain why these differences exist. Given the demonstrated links between numeracy and academic, health, and financial outcomes, it is critical to identify the source of these difficulties in order to promote numeracy in DHH children. The purpose of this research is to inform our understanding of the role of language in the learning of numerical concepts while providing the groundwork for curriculum development that maximizes math learning in DHH children.This research explores the role of language experience and abilities in the acquisition of symbolic and non-symbolic numerical concepts in deaf and hard of hearing children and their hearing peers. Through five behavioral studies with 400 participants, this work aims to characterize math abilities in DHH children relative to their hearing peers, and to explore whether limited language access or abilities may account for observed math difficulties. Series 1 will investigate the relationship between singular/plural language learning and numerical tracking abilities for small sets of objects in DHH and hearing toddlers (18-30 months). Series 2 will explore the development of non-symbolic number abilities in DHH and hearing infants and children (7 months – 5 years old). Studies in series 3 address non-symbolic and symbolic proportional understanding in 6-12 year old DHH and hearing children. Findings from this work will inform current theories of math cognition, providing an in-depth characterization of the role that linguistic experience and abilities play in the development of numerical abilities throughout childhood. This project is co-funded by the Discovery Research preK-12 program (DRK-12), which seeks to enhance preK-12 teaching and learning of science, technology, engineering and mathematics through the research and development of new innovations and approaches.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.