Dr. Sepúlveda-López, Felipe

This study investigates the relationship between intrinsic motivation, mathematics performance, and digital game-based learning (DGBL) in kindergarten students. The research sample comprised 292 children aged 5 to 6 years from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. Instruments included an adapted Children’s Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction Scale for measuring motivation and the Woodcock-Muñoz IV battery for mathematical assessment. DGBL was implemented using software designed for training early numeracy skills. Descriptive and correlational analyses revealed significant positive correlations between intrinsic motivation and general mathematical knowledge. However, no significant correlations were found between motivation and early numeracy skills in the DGBL environment. The findings highlight the importance of intrinsic motivation in early mathematical learning and suggest the potential effectiveness of DGBL in promoting mathematical skills, contributing to reducing the gap of knowledge at this educational level. This study provides valuable insights for educators seeking to enhance mathematical learning through intrinsic motivation and DGBL strategies in kindergarten education.

Background: A number of contrasting hypotheses have been put forward concerning mathematical performance deficits in children with specific language impairment (SLI). However, debate as to the nature of this deficit continues. The present study analyzed whether the trajectories of SLIchildren may be attributed to the use of symbolic vs. linguistic assessment tasks, or to a defi cit in the magnitude system. Method: SLI-children (N=20) and typically achieving children (N=20) were monitored between kindergarten and fi rst grade. Four tasks were designed, each with varying demands on language, symbolic, and domain-specific skills. Results: The groups only differed in the trajectories of those numerical tasks involving high language demand. Conclusions: These findings indicate that SLI children present an early deficit in the development of numerical skills that require retrieval from long term memory and articulation of a phonological representation. Number skills involving greater language demand should be included as part of SLI early detection and intervention protocols.