Testing the Efficacy of Training Basic Numerical Cognition and Transfer Effects to Improvement in Children’s Math Ability

Abstract

The goals of the present study were to test whether (and which) basic numerical abilities can be improved with training and whether training effects transfer to improvement in children’s math achievement. The literature is mixed with evidence that does or does not substantiate the efficacy of training basic numerical ability. In the present study, we developed a child-friendly software named “123 Bakery” which includes four training modules; non-symbolic numerosity comparison, non-symbolic numerosity estimation, approximate arithmetic, and symbol-to-numerosity mapping. Fifty-six first graders were randomly assigned to either the training or control group. The training group participated in 6 weeks of training (5 times a week, 30 minutes per day). All participants underwent pre- and post-training assessment of their basic numerical processing ability (including numerosity discrimination acuity, symbolic/non-symbolic magnitude estimation, approximate arithmetic, and symbol-to-numerosity mapping), overall math achievement and intelligence, 6 weeks apart. The acuity for numerosity discrimination (approximate number sense acuity; hereafter ANS acuity) significantly improved after training, but this training effect did not transfer to improvement in symbolic, exact calculation, or any other math ability. We conclude that basic numerical cognition training leads to improvement in ANS acuity, but whether this effect transfers to symbolic math ability remains to be further tested.

The effects of two digital educational games on cognitive and non-cognitive math and reading outcomes

“…For complex word reading fluency, no differences between the conditions were observed. The mixed results with respect to far transfer are in line with previous DGBL research which also reported mixed findings on far transfer tests for math and reading immediately after the intervention (e.g., Kartal & Terziyan, 2016;Kim et al, 2018;Obersteiner et al, 2013;van Gorp et al, 2017).…”

“…Several empirical studies used DGBL to improve early numerical skills. Kim, Jang, and Cho (2018) randomly assigned 56 first graders to an experimental condition (training numerical processing) or a control condition (following regular education). The experimental condition outperformed the control condition in non-symbolic comparison, but not in other early numerical skills (e.g., approximate arithmetic).…”

“…However, Clark et al (2016) suggested that one should also assess to which extent the trained skills have been transferred to other, more general skills, such as math and reading competence in the current context (i.e., 'far transfer'). The few intervention studies evaluating far transfer effects however reported no effect on math competence (e.g., Kim et al, 2018;Obersteiner et al, 2013;Räsänen et al, 2009) and mixed results for reading (e.g., van de Ven et al, 2017).…”

Rhesus Monkeys Have a Counting Ability and Can Count from One to Six

“…Counting is required for a large number of daily activities and is often implicated in more complex calculations and mathematical tasks [33]. In this respect, serial counting could be considered a basic ability in people's daily lives.…”

MaR-T

“…Several studies assert that comprehension of the nonsymbolic number concept provides a foundation for the symbolic math skills [17,37,48]. To that end, recent interventions that train NSM abilities showed children's progress in comparing ratios as well as how this progress also reflected on their symbolic math skills [6,36,45,46].…”