Young Children's Core Symbolic and Nonsymbolic Quantitative Knowledge in the Prediction of Later Mathematics Achievement

At the beginning of preschool (M = 46 months of age), 197 (94 boys) children were administered tasks that assessed a suite of nonsymbolic and symbolic quantitative competencies as well as their executive functions, verbal and nonverbal intelligence, preliteracy skills, and their parents' educat...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Developmental psychology 2016-12, Vol.52 (12), p.2130-2144
Main Authors: Geary, David C., vanMarle, Kristy
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Academic achievement
Achievement
Achievement Tests
Age Factors
At risk
At Risk Students
Bayes Theorem
Bayesian analysis
Bayesian method
Bayesian Statistics
Child Development - physiology
Child, Preschool
Children
Children & youth
Cognition - physiology
Cognitive Development
Correlation
Counting
Discrimination (Psychology)
Early intervention
Educational Attainment Level
Educational Legislation
Elementary Secondary Education
Executive Function
Federal Legislation
Female
Fluency
Human
Humans
Intelligence
Intelligence Quotient
Intelligence Tests
Knowledge
Learning
Literacy
Male
Mathematics
Mathematics Achievement
Mathematics Education
Mathematics Instruction
Neuropsychological Tests
Nonverbal Ability
Nonverbal intelligence
Number Systems
Numbers
Parent Background
Parenthood education
Parents
Prediction
Preschool Children
Preschool Students
Recognition (Psychology)
Regression (Statistics)
Statistical Analysis
Symbolic Learning
Symbolism
Verbal Ability
Young Children
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Summary:At the beginning of preschool (M = 46 months of age), 197 (94 boys) children were administered tasks that assessed a suite of nonsymbolic and symbolic quantitative competencies as well as their executive functions, verbal and nonverbal intelligence, preliteracy skills, and their parents' education level. The children's mathematics achievement was assessed at the end of preschool (M = 64 months). We used a series of Bayesian and standard regression analyses to winnow this broad set of competencies down to the core subset of quantitative skills that predict later mathematics achievement, controlling other factors. This knowledge included children's fluency in reciting the counting string, their understanding of the cardinal value of number words, and recognition of Arabic numerals, as well as their sensitivity to the relative quantity of 2 collections of objects. The results inform theoretical models of the foundations of children's early quantitative development and have practical implications for the design of early interventions for children at risk for poor long-term mathematics achievement.
ISSN:0012-1649
1939-0599
DOI:10.1037/dev0000214