Fostering early numerical competencies by playing conventional board games

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Development
• Educational Psychology

Background:

• Preschoolers' numerical development can be enhanced through playing numerical board games.
• Existing research often uses specially designed games, limiting generalizability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if conventional board games with traditional number dice benefit early numerical development in preschoolers.
• To compare the effects of number dice versus color/symbol dice in board games.

Main Methods:

• An intervention study involving 4- to 6-year-old children.
• Seven 30-minute sessions over 4 weeks, playing board games with either number dice or color/symbol dice.
• Pretest-posttest and 1-year follow-up assessments of numerical skills.

Main Results:

• Children playing board games with traditional number dice showed greater improvements in counting skills and structural understanding compared to those using color/symbol dice.
• These benefits, particularly in recognizing and using structures, persisted one year post-intervention.

Conclusions:

• Conventional board games with traditional number dice are effective for fostering early numerical competencies in preschoolers.
• This approach offers a low-threshold intervention for enhancing foundational math skills.