Efficiency to process finger configurations predicts initial math performance

  1. Múnez, David 1
  2. Rosales, Javier 2
  3. Verschaffel, Lieven 3
  4. Orrantia, Josetxu
  5. Sánchez, Rosario 2
  6. Matilla, Laura 2
  1. 1 National Institute of Education, Singapore
  2. 2 Universidad de Salamanca
    info

    Universidad de Salamanca

    Salamanca, España

    ROR https://ror.org/02f40zc51

  3. 3 Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KU Leuven)
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Actas:
17th Biennial meeting of the European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction (EARLI)

Año de publicación: 2017

Congreso: Biennial EARLI Conference (17o. 2017. Tampere, Finland)

Tipo: Aportación congreso

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Resumen

Previous research has shown that finger-based strategies play an important role in learning and understanding arithmetic. However, little research has examined young children’s ability to process finger configurations, and its significance for emerging math abilities. In this study, we aimed at examining whether efficiency to process finger configurations is a unique predictor for initial math competences before formal math instruction starts. We controlled for influence of domain-specific numerical precursor competencies and domain-general cognitive ability. Results from 102 Spanish kindergarteners showed that efficiency to process finger configurations predicted a unique and relevant part of the math performance. These results suggest that educational practices encouraging the use of finger configurations could be a bridge between numerical 163 quantities and their symbolic representation, which would support the development of number and arithmetic.