Early Mathematical Knowledge in Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children—Association Between Numerical and Patterning Skills

Early patterning skills, particularly those involving linear repeating patterns, are well-established predictors of mathematical development. This relationship has not yet been investigated in visually oriented deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) children. It also remains unclear whether a two-dimensional pattern structure contributes to predicting numerical skills in children at the time of school entry. The present study investigates the relationship between repeating patterning skills in two formats (linear and circular) and numerical skills in a total of 38 DHH and typically hearing children. Language competence was additionally assessed in the DHH group to account for its linguistic heterogeneity. In the DHH and hearing groups, repeating patterning skills in each format strongly predicted numerical skills. Among DHH children, prior language experience played a more decisive role in mathematical development. The circular format emerged as a particularly strong predictor for typically hearing children. DHH children, especially those with sign language experience, perform equally well with both formats, and it is argued that this is due to their enhanced visuospatial skills.