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Tracking informal fraction knowledge and its correlates across first grade.
Alexandria A Viegut1, Ilyse Resnick2, Dana Miller-Cotto3
1School of Education, University of Delaware.
Developmental Psychology
|August 10, 2023
Summary
Early fraction knowledge in young children significantly predicts later math achievement. This informal understanding develops naturally, highlighting the importance of fostering both fraction and whole number skills concurrently in early education.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Mathematics Education
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Young children possess informal knowledge of fractions prior to formal schooling.
- Understanding the development of early fraction concepts is crucial for later mathematical success.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the development of informal fraction knowledge in first-grade children.
- To examine the relationship between early informal fraction knowledge and other mathematical and cognitive skills.
- To identify predictors of early fraction knowledge development.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study tracking 103 first-grade children from fall to spring.
- Assessment of informal fraction knowledge (nonsymbolic, halving), whole number knowledge, and cognitive skills.
- Statistical analysis to determine individual differences and predictive relationships.
Main Results:
- Most children demonstrated some informal fraction knowledge at the start of first grade, which improved over the year without explicit instruction.
- Significant individual differences in early fraction knowledge predicted end-of-year math achievement, even after controlling for whole number and cognitive skills.
- Start-of-year whole number knowledge predicted end-of-year fraction knowledge, but spatial scaling and proportional reasoning did not.
Conclusions:
- Early informal fraction knowledge is a significant predictor of later mathematical achievement.
- Early childhood education should foster early fraction and whole number understanding in parallel.
- These findings can inform pedagogical strategies to enhance early mathematical learning and prepare students for formal fraction instruction.
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