Development of early numerical ability: contributions from cognitive psychology to initial mathematics education

Abstract

Numerical ability is developed in the early years of age and is the basis for later learning mathematics, as well as academic and work success in adulthood. Initial mathematics education has traditionally focused on the teaching of general processes, seeking the development of logical-mathematical thinking and mathematical language. This article seeks to think about the importance of training specific numerical cognitive processes, based on the findings in cognitive psychology. Thus, in this work the latest empirical evidence is reviewed, based on recent studies with behavioral approaches in numerical cognition, focused on the development of early numerical skills. For this, the main milestones of numerical development in relation to the acquisition of later arithmetic are reviewed, taking into account the intrinsic and extrinsic inf luences on the individual during the first years of age. © 2021, Comite Latinoamericano de Matematica Educativa. All rights reserved.