The development and importance of proficiency in basic calculation

Proficiency with numbers is important for everyday life, employment, and the study of natural and social sciences. One component of number proficiency is basic calculation, the addition of whole numbers with sums less than 20 and corresponding subtractions. When children start school they can solve some basic calculation problems. During the primary years, most learn to solve all basic calculations accurately and quickly. Children differ markedly in their skill and these differences seem important because research suggests a) basic calculation proficiency is related to more general mathematical attainment, b) deficits in basic calculation are common in children with number difficulties, and c) there is continuity between number difficulties at primary school and adult number difficulties.
This project tracks a cohort of Year 3 Primary schoolchildren and their teachers over a year and collects data on psychological, social, and educational factors that previous research has identified as important. The data will be analysed to assess explanations of how basic calculation proficiency develops and why it is linked to more general mathematical attainment.