Development of numerical understanding at preschool age

Nagyová Lehocká, Zuzana, Szabó, Tibor, Petzné Tóth, Szilvia (2026) Development of numerical understanding at preschool age Annales Mathematicae et Informaticae. ISSN 1787-6117 (Online)

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Absztrakt (kivonat)

The emergence and development of numerical cognition are fundamental to the formation of mathematical thinking, particularly during the preschool years. At this stage, children progressively acquire an understanding of the semantic content of numbers, their correspondence with quantities, and the ordered, stable structure of the numeral sequence. These early competencies form the basis for later formal mathematical learning and are widely regarded as strong predictors of subsequent achievement in school mathematics. Given the foundational role of early numerical competencies, systematic investigation of number-related skills before school entry is of both theoretical and practical importance. The present study aims to map and characterise the number-related abilities of children aged 5–6 years, approximately six months before the onset of formal schooling. The sample comprised 131 children in the final year of kindergarten. Participating institutions were selected based on availability. Within each kindergarten, children from groups preparing to enter primary school were randomly selected to participate in the study. During the study, a purpose-designed assessment instrument was administered to evaluate children’s numerical competencies across six task sets. The instrument measured: (i) comparison of quantities, (ii) recognition of quantity conservation, (iii) understanding of numerical equivalence, and (iv) application of simple arithmetic operations. Quantitative data analysis was conducted using Microsoft Excel and RStudio. Descriptive results indicate that the majority of participants demonstrated proficiency in recognising basic quantitative relationships. However, greater variability and uncertainty were observed in tasks assessing conservation principles and addition. Inferential analyses revealed a small-to-moderate negative association between total test completion time and overall performance. Specifically, Pearson’s correlation coefficient was (r = −0.34), (95% CI [−0.48,−0.17])]), and Spearman’s rank correlation was ρ = −0.23, (95% CI [−0.39,−0.05]]). Linear regression analysis further indicated a significant negative slope (b = −0.175) (p < .001), suggesting that longer test duration was associated with lower total scores. From a practical perspective, the findings support the applicability of the developed assessment tool as a diagnostic instrument in early childhood education. Its use may enable kindergarten teachers to identify and systematically support the development of number-related competencies before formal schooling begins.

Mű típusa:	Folyóiratcikk - Journal article
Szerző:	Szerző neve Email MTMT azonosító ORCID azonosító Közreműködés Nagyová Lehocká, Zuzana znlehocka@ukf.sk NEM RÉSZLETEZETT NEM RÉSZLETEZETT Szerző Szabó, Tibor tszabo@ukf.sk NEM RÉSZLETEZETT NEM RÉSZLETEZETT Szerző Petzné Tóth, Szilvia toth.szilvia@sze.hu NEM RÉSZLETEZETT NEM RÉSZLETEZETT Szerző
Megjegyzés:	Accepted manuscript. Published online: May 27, 2026
Kapcsolódó URL-ek:	Folyóirat honlapja
Kulcsszavak:	kindergarten, mathematics, numerical understanding, preschool age
Nyelv:	angol
DOI azonosító:	10.33039/ami.2026.05.002
ISSN:	1787-6117 (Online)
Felhasználó:	Tibor Gál
Dátum:	28 Máj 2026 06:49
Utolsó módosítás:	28 Máj 2026 06:49
URI:	http://publikacio.uni-eszterhazy.hu/id/eprint/9190

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