Early cognitive predictors of mathematical learning disabilities: A longitudinal study from kindergarten to second grade.

The team followed a group of kindergarteners through second grade. They gave each child quick symbolic tasks: name numbers, pick the bigger digit, and a short working-memory game.

Two years later they checked who had been tagged with a math learning disability (MLD). The goal was to see which kindergarten scores warned us early.

Kids who were slow at naming digits and picking the larger numeral in kindergarten were far more likely to be diagnosed with MLD by second grade. A weak working-memory score added extra risk.

In plain words: quick "which is bigger?" games and digit naming in kindergarten flag future math trouble.

Schwenk et al. (2017) pooled 50 studies and found the same thing — symbolic comparison speed, not dot comparison, separates kids with math difficulties. MacFarland et al. (2025) now show this marker works before the failure even shows up.

Desoete et al. (2013) saw number-line errors in preschool siblings of MLD learners. The new study widens the lens: you don't need a family history; any kindergartener who stumbles on digit tasks is at risk.

Brugnaro et al. (2024) later proved that adding a 2-minute number comparison probe to a school-wide screener catches severe MLD cases better than teacher ratings alone. Together the papers form a timeline: kindergarten digit tasks → grades 3-9 screeners → accurate flags.

You can spot MLD risk with items you already have: flash cards with digits 1-9 and a quick "which is bigger?" game. Slip these into your fall kindergarten assessment. If a child scores low, start small-group number-sense games right away instead of waiting for math failure in second grade.