“Early numeracy skills” and mathematical performance: A 7-year longitudinal study
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Abstract
Having good early numeracy skills seems to be important for success in this subject in later educational stages. However, most of the studies contemplate designs whose results cover up to the 1st cycle of Primary Education. The present longitudinal study aimed to explore the predictive value of certain early numeracy skills, such as counting skills, comparison magnitudes abilities, and logical operations, on mathematical performance and its components 6 years later. The sample included 91 children who were evaluated at two time points: Kindergarten (5-6 years) and 6th grade of Primary School (11-12 years). In Kindergarten, the TEDI-MATH (Gregóire et al., 2005) was used to assess the degree of acquisition of counting (conceptual and procedural), comparison of magnitudes (symbolic and non-symbolic), and logical operations (seriation, classification, conservation, and inclusion) early numeracy skills. In Primary School, the EVAMAT-6, version 3.0 (García et al., 2018) was administered to evaluate mathematical performance and its components (numbering, calculation, geometry, information and chance, and problem-solving). The results showed that procedural counting emerges as a prominent predictor of subsequent mathematical performance and its components. Likewise, although to a lesser extent, the influence of symbolic comparison skills and logical operations of seriation and conservation was also observed. The implications of thes findings for psychoeducational research and practice are discussed.
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