Related Experiment Videos
Preschoolers' selective sustained attention and numeracy skills and knowledge
Alicia Brueggemann1, Sara Gable1
1Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology, College of Human Environmental Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Columbia, MO 65211, USA.
Insights
Selective sustained attention (SSA) in preschoolers is linked to better early math skills. A new tool, the Track-It Task, showed this connection, suggesting SSA supports counting and number knowledge development.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Development
- Early Childhood Education
- Educational Psychology
Background:
- Past research shows a positive link between children's attention and early numeracy skills.
- Concerns exist regarding the age-appropriateness of existing tools for measuring preschoolers' selective sustained attention (SSA).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between selective sustained attention (SSA) and early numeracy in at-risk preschoolers.
- To evaluate the efficacy of a new SSA measurement tool, the Track-It Task, with strong psychometric properties.
Main Methods:
- The study involved 31 at-risk preschoolers (average age 46.6 months).
- Participants were assessed on SSA using the Track-It Task, alongside nonsymbolic quantity discrimination and symbolic quantitative skills.
- Correlational analyses examined the associations between SSA and numeracy measures.
Main Results:
- Selective sustained attention (SSA) was positively correlated with verbal counting, one-to-one correspondence, Arabic numeral recognition, and cardinal principle knowledge.
- SSA was not significantly associated with child age or performance on a memory task.
- The Track-It Task demonstrated strong psychometric properties for measuring SSA in this population.
Conclusions:
- Preliminary evidence suggests that SSA plays a role in developing reliable counting abilities in young children.
- SSA may facilitate the understanding that number symbols represent specific quantities.
- The Track-It Task is a promising tool for assessing SSA in preschoolers, aiding in understanding early numeracy development.
Abstract:
This brief report addresses preschoolers' selective sustained attention (SSA) and early numeracy skills and knowledge. Past research indicates that children's attention and early numeracy are positively associated, yet some concerns have emerged about the age appropriateness of tools used to measure preschoolers' SSA. This study used a new measure-the Track-It Task-that demonstrates strong psychometric properties. In total, 31 at-risk preschoolers (Mage = 46.6 months) participated and were assessed on SSA, nonsymbolic quantity discrimination, and symbolic quantitative skills and knowledge. The ability to sustain attention in the face of distractions was positively correlated with preschoolers' verbal counting and one-to-one correspondence, Arabic numeral recognition, and cardinal principle knowledge. SSA was not significantly associated with child age or performance on a memory task. This study provides preliminary evidence that SSA may facilitate the process whereby young children become reliable counters and learn that the symbol system of numbers represents specific quantities.