Reading and mathematics: Two sides, same coin?

Word problem-solving (WPS) in mathematics and reading comprehension (RC) are essential to academic literacy. Previous studies suggest that WPS and RC involve common processes related to number and word processing. However, the nature of these connections is not yet fully understood. In this study, we examined the influence of reading and calculation fluency on the development of WPS and RC by conducting two longitudinal studies (L1 and L2) with children entering first grade in 2019 and 2018, respectively. Significant associations were found between reading fluency and RC, as well as between addition and subtraction fluency and WPS. In general, those correlations were higher (L1: .60-.74; L2: .55-.82) than correlations between reading and mathematics measures (L1: .30-.57; L2: .34-.54) suggesting patterns of overlap between different underlying more specific processes. Hierarchical regressions were computed to test the unique contribution of each predictor to the variance in WPS and RC when the other predictors were controlled. Addition and subtraction fluency significantly explained 6% and 4% of the individual variability in WPS in L1. Addition fluency also explained 20% of the variance in WPS in L2, whereas subtraction fluency did not. Moreover, reading fluency did not show a unique contribution to individual variability in WPS. On the contrary, reading fluency contributed uniquely to variance in RC in L1 (16%) and L2 (17%), while addition and subtraction fluency did not. Considering these findings, the controversy over the specificity of learning disabilities in mathematics and reading is revised, and practical implications are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).