Research

Certain skills that are important for reading, like knowing the sounds that make up words, might also help with math.  We're studying how these kinds of language skills are related to how well children do on math problems and how they figure out the answers to these problems. 

Understanding these relationships will help us understand how language and math skills are related, and may help explain why children who are good at reading often do well in math too.

Learning difficulties in reading (dyslexia) and math (dyscalculia) tend to occur together more frequently than we would expect by chance. Surprisingly, around 50% of children who struggle with reading also face challenges in math. 

We're exploring the cognitive and neural factors that might be responsible for co-occurring difficulties in reading and math. By understanding why this happens, we can find ways to support children who have difficulties in both subjects. 

Do all children learn number words at the same rate? Or are there differences across languages and cultures? We are investigating whether children have similar developmental trajectories for number words across countries.

Additionally, we are studying how the brain changes as children learn the meanings of number words. 

By understanding these processes, we can gain insights into how children learn and develop numerical skills before they enter school.