Predicting mathematical abilities from early mathematics and number-specific executive functions in informal and formal schooling

Background Current evidence on an integrative role of the domain-specific early mathematical skills and domain-general executive functions (EFs) from informal to formal schooling and their effect on mathematical abilities is so far unclear. The main objectives of this study were to (i) compare the domain-specific early mathematics, the number-specific EFs, and the mathematical abilities between preschool and primary school children, and (ii) examine the relationship among the domain-specific early mathematics, the number-specific EFs, and the mathematics abilities among preschool and primary school children.Methods In the present study, we recruited six- and seven-year-old children (Ntotal=505, n6yrs=238, and n7yrs=267). We compared domain-specific early mathematics as measured by symbolic and non-symbolic tasks, number-specific EFs tasks, and mathematics tasks between these preschool and primary school children. In addition, we tested the predictive power of domain-specific numerical and number-specific EFs on mathematics abilities among preschool and primary school children. MANOVA and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) were used to test research hypotheses.Results We found that primary school children were superior to preschool children over more complex tests of the domain-specific early mathematics, the number-specific EFs, the mathematics abilities, particularly, for more sophisticated numerical knowledge and the number-specific EFs components. The SEM revealed that both the domain-specific early numerical and the number-specific EFs could predict the mathematics abilities across age groups. Nevertheless, the number comparison test and mental number line of the domain-specific early mathematics were clearly pronounced in predicting the mathematics abilities for formal school children. These results highlight the benefits of both the domain-specific early mathematics and the number-specific EFs in mathematical development, especially at the key stages of formal schooling. Understanding the causal effect of EFs in improving mathematical attainments could allow a more powerful approach in improving mathematical education at this developmental stage.