At the University of Missouri-Columbia funded by the National Science Foundation, researchers have discovered that children who better process words associated with numbers are more likely to have success with math when they enter kindergarten. The research also indicated that children, with better understanding that addition increases and subtraction decreases, are more equipped for math at the elementary grades. Scientists emphasize that these skill sets could lead to greater success in school.
A ten year longitudinal study followed first graders and their basic understanding of numbers up til high school. These students seemed to be set to be on track for future success in high school and beyond. The success is due to the basic understanding of number words.
Controls were established to account for general knowledge, parental backgrounds and other factors. The children that were selected were subjected to several tasks to evaluate non symbolic skills and symbolic quantitative and calculation skills including their comprehension of number words and their ability to add and subtract from a collection of objects assigned.
The participants’ math skills at the beginning of preschool and again at the end of preschool had been assessed. Kids that understood the value of number words implicitly and understood addition and subtraction were far more fluent at processing and manipulating numbers and quantities than those who did not.
Reported by Science Daily