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Updated: Jan 12, 2026

Exploring Infant Sensitivity to Visual Language using Eye Tracking and the Preferential Looking Paradigm
Published on: May 15, 2019
Intuitions of mathematical curves in young children's drawings
Lorenzo Ciccione1, Marie Lubineau2, Théo Morfoisse2
1Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit, CEA, INSERM, Université Paris-Saclay, NeuroSpin Center, 91191 Gif/Yvette, France; Department of Psychology, DysCo Lab, Université Paris 8, 93526 Saint-Denis, France.
Abstract:
How sophisticated is young children's comprehension of geometric lines, curves and patterns, and how can we probe it? We investigated early proto-mathematical intuitions by asking kindergarteners (N = 39, 25 girls, 66 months) and first-graders (N = 42, 20 girls, 76 months) to draw the prolongation of mathematical patterns. Children's drawings revealed an early yet partial understanding of key mathematical properties such as linearity, curvature, periodicity, and compositionality. These abilities were confirmed in a second task, where participants were asked to select the correct prolongation among six options, ruling out motor entrainment as an explanation for the drawing task. These findings highlight children's emerging intuitions of proto-mathematical concepts and underscore the potential of drawing as a powerful and concrete tool for assessing early mathematical reasoning.
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