Phonological deficits in the co-occurrence of reading and mathematical difficulties in Chinese
Jiuqing Tang, Peng Peng, Liming Zhang, Ning Ding, Jingjing Zhao
Source record
Source: Crossref
Published: Dec 17, 2025
DOI: 10.1007/s11145-025-10749-2
Open original source ↗Source abstract
Abstract Reading difficulties (RD) often co-occurs with mathematical difficulties (MD), and phonological deficits are frequently proposed as an underlying factor for both. However, the specific profiles of phonological deficits in Chinese children with both conditions are still debated. The present study aimed to examine the profiles of phonological deficits in Chinese children with co-occurring RD and MD. A total of 1,675 Chinese primary school students aged 8 to 11 years participated in the study. Among them, we identified 57 with RD only, 60 with MD only, 54 with co-occurring RD and MD, and 58 age-matched controls. Phonological awareness (PA), rapid automatized naming (RAN), morphological awareness (MA), visuospatial skills, and pattern recognition were assessed. Compared to controls, all three difficulty groups exhibited common deficits in PA and RAN. PA deficits in the co-occurring group were the addition of that observed in the RD-only and MD-only groups, whereas RAN deficits in the co-occurring group were less than additive. These results suggest that co-occurrence of Chinese RD and MD aligns with double dissociation model for PA deficits and common etiology model for RAN deficits. These findings offer important implications for the educational support and intervention strategies for children with co-occurring RD and MD.
Evidence graph
No public relationships recorded yet.
Integrity note: This page is a factual metadata record created by deterministic ingestion. It is not a claim that the work moves a mathematical frontier or has been independently verified.