Changing the precision of preschoolers’ approximate number system representations changes their symbolic math performance

Wang, Jinjing Jenny; Odic, Darko; Halberda, Justin; Feigenson, Lisa

doi:10.1016/j.jecp.2016.03.002

Cited by 97 publications

(123 citation statements)

References 96 publications

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“…Moreover, of studies that have examined the relation between AMS and SNS tasks at different timepoints, few if any include control for the outcome at time 1 (e.g., Libertus et al, 2011;Mazzocco et al, 2011;Wang et al, 2016). Inclusion of this control is crucial because it allows one to genuinely predict growth in the outcome.…”

Section: Reconciling Current Results With Previous Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

Symbolic number skills predict growth in nonsymbolic number skills in kindergarteners.

Lyons

Bugden

Zheng³

et al. 2018

Developmental Psychology

111

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There is currently considerable discussion about the relative influences of evolutionary and cultural factors in the development of early numerical skills. In particular, there has been substantial debate and study of the relationship between approximate, nonverbal (approximate magnitude system, AMS) and exact, symbolic (symbolic number system, SNS) representations of number. Here we examined several hypotheses concerning whether, in the earliest stages of formal education, AMS abilities predict growth in SNS abilities, or the other way around. In addition to tasks involving symbolic (Arabic numerals) and non-symbolic (dot arrays) number comparisons, we also tested children's ability to translate between the two systems (i.e., mixed-format comparison). Our data included a sample of 539 Kindergarten children (mean=5.17yrs, SD=0.29yrs), with AMS, SNS and mixed comparison skills assessed at the beginning and end of the academic year. In this way, we provide, to the best of our knowledge, the most comprehensive test to date of the direction of influence between the AMS and SNS in early formal schooling. Results were more consistent with the view that SNS abilities at the beginning of Kindergarten lay the foundation for improvement in both AMS abilities and the ability to translate between the two systems. Importantly, we found no evidence to support the reverse. We conclude that, once one acquires a very basic grasp of exact number symbols, it is this understanding of exact number (and perhaps repeated practice therewith) that facilitates growth in the AMS. Though the precise mechanism remains to be understood, these data challenge the widely held view that the AMS scaffolds the acquisition of the SNS.

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Section: Reconciling Current Results With Previous Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

Symbolic number skills predict growth in nonsymbolic number skills in kindergarteners.

Lyons

Bugden

Zheng³

et al. 2018

Developmental Psychology

111

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The most theoretically dominant position about the origins of numerical abilities for the past two decades has focused on the link between an evolutionarily old, nonsymbolic sense of number and a modern, symbolic system that enables mathematics. Already, interventions and diagnostic tools have been developed that draw on this theoretical framework . However, as we have detailed, a collection of recent research has challenged fundamental aspects of the neurobiological link between number sense and symbolic numerical abilities along four important themes.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Challenging the neurobiological link between number sense and symbolic numerical abilities

Wilkey

Ansari

2019

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences

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A significant body of research links individual differences in symbolic numerical abilities, such as arithmetic, to number sense, the neurobiological system used to approximate and manipulate quantities without language or symbols. However, recent findings from cognitive neuroscience challenge this influential theory. Our current review presents an overview of evidence for the number sense account of symbolic numerical abilities and then reviews recent studies that challenge this account, organized around the following four assertions. (1) There is no number sense as traditionally conceived. (2) Neural substrates of number sense are more widely distributed than common consensus asserts, complicating the neurobiological evidence linking number sense to numerical abilities. (3) The most common measures of number sense are confounded by other cognitive demands, which drive key correlations. (4) Number sense and symbolic number systems (Arabic digits, number words, and so on) rely on distinct neural mechanisms and follow independent developmental trajectories. The review follows each assertion with comments on future directions that may bring resolution to these issues.

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“…Other components of the game involve counting non-symbolic representations and identifying numerals, which could also contribute to improvements to symbolic numerical knowledge. Likewise, the repeated practice comparing non-symbolic quantities may improve children's non-symbolic magnitude skills, which have been shown to malleable with targeted practice (e.g., Wang, Odic, Halberda, & Feigenson, 2016). As a comparison group, half of the children were randomly assigned to play a memory and matching game (Memory) with the same numerical cards.…”

Section: The Current Papermentioning

confidence: 99%

Narrowing the early mathematics gap: A play-based intervention to promote low-income preschoolers’ number skills

2018

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Preschoolers from low-income households lag behind preschoolers from middle-income households on numerical skills that underlie later mathematics achievement. However, it is unknown whether these gaps exist on parallel measures of symbolic and non-symbolic numerical skills. Experiment 1 indicated preschoolers from low-income backgrounds were less accurate than peers from middle-income backgrounds on a measure of symbolic magnitude comparison, but they performed equivalently on a measure of non-symbolic magnitude comparison. This suggests activities linking non-symbolic and symbolic number representations may be used to support children's numerical knowledge. Experiment 2 randomly assigned low-income preschoolers (Mean Age = 4.7 years) to play either a numerical magnitude comparison or a numerical matching card game across four 15 min sessions over a 3-week period. The magnitude comparison card game led to significant improvements in participants' symbolic magnitude comparison skills in an immediate posttest assessment. Following the intervention, low-income participants performed equivalently to an age-and gender-matched sample of middle-income preschoolers in symbolic magnitude comparison. These results suggest a brief intervention that combines non-symbolic and symbolic magnitude representations can support low-income preschoolers' early numerical knowledge.

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Changing the precision of preschoolers’ approximate number system representations changes their symbolic math performance

Cited by 97 publications

References 96 publications

Symbolic number skills predict growth in nonsymbolic number skills in kindergarteners.

Symbolic number skills predict growth in nonsymbolic number skills in kindergarteners.

Challenging the neurobiological link between number sense and symbolic numerical abilities

Narrowing the early mathematics gap: A play-based intervention to promote low-income preschoolers’ number skills

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