The role of working memory in the development of strategy use when learning multiplication Sanne van der Ven Jan Boom Evelyn Kroesbergen Paul Leseman Aims of project Structure of executive functions Inhibition Shifting Updating (working memory) Development of executive functions (age 6-8) Relations between EF and mathematics Longitudinal study grade 1 and 2 (age 6-8) Microgenetic study in grade 2 (age 8) Strategies Strategies - Beware! Multiplication Strategies: Counting The supermarket has 8 eggboxes. Each box contains 6 eggs. How many eggs are there in the supermarket? Multiplication Strategies: Repeated Addition Multiplication Strategies: Derived Facts Rens buys 8 boxes of chocolate. Each box contains 6 bonbons. How many bonbons does Rens buy? Multiplication Strategies: Retrieval Tim buys 4 toy cars. Each car costs 4 euro. How much does Tim have to pay? Development: Overlapping Waves Method 96 children (2 nd grade: 8 years old) 15 maths problems (varying, matched for difficulty) Accuracy Strategy use (observation and interview) 8 weeks Three working memory tasks Digit Span Backwards Odd One Out Keep Track WrongCountingRepeated Addition Derived Facts Retrieval Repetition: 7 x 4 = 7 Finger counting Standard: 5 x 4 = Doubling: 6 x 6 = x 5 = 35 Addition: 7 x 4 = 11 Drawing dots Smaller steps: 4 x 7 = Five plus: 6 x 6 = Dont knowCounting out loud Bigger steps: 6 x 7 = Ten minus: 8 x 5 = Guessing and many combinations Coding Results - Descriptives Retrieval Derived Facts Repeated Addition Counting Wrong Retrieval Derived Facts Repeated Addition Counting Wrong Categorical Growth Retrieval Derived Facts Repeated Addition Counting Wrong Results Questions? Retrieval Derived Facts Repeated Addition Counting Wrong