New research from Texas A&M University identifies comprehension knowledge, fluid reasoning and number sense as key skills associated with mathematics ability.
Dr. Daniel Hajovsky, an associate professor in the Department of Educational Psychology, and his co-authors examined the relationship between cognitive abilities and math skills in a study published in the *Journal of Intelligence*.
The researchers compared results from 122 distinct test batteries, or sets of tests that measure cognitive or behavioral abilities. Their analysis examined connections between cognitive abilities and several areas of mathematics, including math knowledge, calculation, problem solving and fluency.
Comprehension knowledge, which includes language, vocabulary and verbal reasoning, was one of the strongest cognitive predictors of math skills, according to the study. Hajovsky said the skill helps people use reading comprehension and background knowledge to understand new information.
The other key cognitive skill was fluid reasoning, or the ability to use deductive and inductive reasoning. Hajovsky described it as the ability to determine which information is relevant when learning or solving a problem without prior rules or background knowledge.
The study also found that foundational math skills matter. Number sense, or a general understanding of math and how numbers relate to one another, was as important as a foundation for later math skills, Hajovsky said.
