Using Mate20 in improving the number sense in case of students with specific learning disabilities with impairment of mathematics
Using Mate20 in improving the number sense in case of students with specific learning disabilities with impairment of mathematics

Summary/Abstract: The primary cause for the specific learning difficulties with impairment of mathematics seems to be the weakness of the number sense, defined as the ability to non-verbally represent and manipulate numerical quantities. Performance on additions and substractions of natural numbers is seen as a measure of the number sense. But above mentioned performance is negatively influenced by the maths anxiety. An intervention based on educational games is susceptible to improve the numerical skills. Mate20 was specially designed to improve the number sense, acting on both arithmetic knowledge and math anxiety. The aim of the present study is to measure the effectiveness of the intervention based on Mate20 program. 55 students with specific learning disabilities with impairment of mathematics participated in a controlled clinical study. The experimental group received for 2 weeks, 15 – 20 minutes per day, an intervention based on the use of Mate20 educational program. The control group benefited from a classic intervention during support hours. A non-standardized test containing 76 items and Abbreviated Maths Anxiety Scale were applied before and immediately after the interventions. The number of correct answers, respectively of errors were statistically processed. After the intervention based on Mate20, participants recorded significantly less errors, concomitantly with a significant improvement of the number sense. More than that, participants of the experimental group registered significantly fewer errors and an significant improvement of the number sense compared to the control group. No correlation between math anxiety level and improvement of the performance were outlined. Future research will evaluate the persistence of gained results over time.

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