Directionality in the interrelations between approximate number,verbal number,and mathematics in preschool-aged children |
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| Authors: | Yi Mou Bo Zhang Daniel C Hyde |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Psychology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China;2. School of Labor and Employment Relations, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois, USA
Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois, USA;3. Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois, USA |
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| Abstract: | A fundamental question in numerical development concerns the directional relation between an early-emerging non-verbal approximate number system (ANS) and culturally acquired verbal number and mathematics knowledge. Using path models on longitudinal data collected in preschool children (Mage = 3.86 years; N = 216; 99 males; 80.8% White; 10.8% Multiracial, 3.8% Latino; 1.9% Black; collected 2013–2017) over 1 year, this study showed that earlier verbal number knowledge was associated with later ANS precision (average β = .32), even after controlling for baseline differences in numerical, general cognitive, and language abilities. In contrast, earlier ANS precision was not associated with later verbal number knowledge (β = ?.07) or mathematics abilities (average β = .10). These results suggest that learning about verbal numbers is associated with a sharpening of pre-existing non-verbal numerical abilities. |
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