Applying principles of development to help at-risk preschoolers develop numeracy

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Development
• Early Childhood Education
• Educational Psychology

Background:

• Preschool curricula often focus on foundational math skills.
• Transitional thinking abilities, such as understanding oddity and series, are recognized as important for mathematical development.
• The specific impact of targeted games on these transitional skills and their relation to numeracy is an area for further research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of targeted games on preschoolers' understanding of oddity and insertions into series.
• To examine the relationship between mastering oddity/insertions and numeracy skills in young children.
• To determine if specific game-based interventions enhance transitional thinking abilities crucial for early math.

Main Methods:

• A yoked control design was employed with multicultural Head Start 4-year-olds.
• Children participated in games focused on either numeracy or the oddity principle and insertions into series.
• Cognitive skills were assessed using the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities.

Main Results:

• Children demonstrated significantly improved mastery of oddity and insertions after playing games designed for those concepts.
• Numeracy scores were comparable between children who played numeracy games and those who played oddity/insertion games.
• This suggests that specific skill-building games enhance targeted cognitive abilities.

Conclusions:

• Mastery of oddity relations and insertions are key transitional thinking abilities.
• These transitional skills appear to be foundational for supporting numeracy development at the preschool-kindergarten stage.
• Game-based learning targeting specific cognitive skills can be effective in early childhood education.