Pass Cognitive Processes and Achievement Deficits in Children with Low Mathematical Ability

The present study examined Das's Planning, Attention, Simultaneous and Successive Processing and deficits in Word Reading, Sentence Comprehension, Spelling and Reading Composite achievement among children with low mathematical ability. The study was conducted on a sample of 180 children (90-low mathematical ability, 90- normal mathematical ability) in the age range of 10 to 12 years drawn from 14 schools in Ambala and Kurukshetra districts of Haryana. Mathematical Ability Test was used to categorize sample into two groups. All participants were tested on Das's Cognitive Assessment System and Wide Range Achievement Test- fourth version. The data were analyzed for descriptive statistics, t-test and discriminant function analysis. The results revealed that LMA children scored significantly lower in all the four PASS cognitive processes (p< .001). They further showed serious deficits across all the areas of achievement but one. Compared with normal children, the low mathematical ability group was significantly deficient in Sentence Comprehension (p<.001), Spelling (p< .001) and Reading Composite (p<.003). However the deficiency in Word Reading was negligible, hence not significant. Multivariate analysis of data revealed that PASS cognitive processes and achievement differentiated LMA group significantly. Results of discriminant analysis further revealed that 75.6% of LMA children were successfully identified through their scores on PASS cognitive processes and achievement tests.