Children learn the cardinalities of the first numbers one, two, three and four before they learn how counting tracks cardinality for all numbers. It may be that when children start to understand counting, they also discover how numbers relate to one another in a structured number system. Do children who understand that the cardinality of a set is…

Background: South African teachers' mathematical knowledge for teaching and number sense are markedly low, evidenced in national and international research. There is a call for supporting teachers in developing their knowledge and confidence in teaching mathematics. Aim: The aim of this article is to share how pre-service teachers (PSTs) used the…

This study addresses the critical issue of mathematical underperformance among preschoolers in Yopal Casanare, Colombia, through the perspective of an action research project. It focuses on the design and implementation of a didactic unit aimed at promoting numerical thinking, specifically seriation and structured counting, in preschool students.…

Numerous international studies have reported the importance of the home numeracy environment in promoting early math skills in preschool children; however, there is a lack of research in the Cuban context. The present descriptive study investigated the relationship between counting skills of 100 4-year-old Cuban preschoolers and the influence of…

Teacher quality in primary schools in South Africa is a serious concern, and how best to prepare teachers in initial teacher education--with regard to mathematics--remains an open and vexing question. There is a confluence of challenges facing the mathematics education community in South Africa: poor conceptual understanding of mathematics amongst…

Despite the increasing integration of technology in early childhood education, empirical research on the effectiveness of Web 2.0-based numeracy learning remains limited, particularly in developing countries. This study investigates the impact of a Web 2.0-based Numeracy Education Program on first-grade students' numeracy skills using a…

Previous research has demonstrated a link between children's ability to name canonical finger configurations and their mathematical abilities. This study aimed to investigate the nature of this association, specifically exploring whether the relationship is skill and handshape specific and identifying the underlying mechanisms involved.…

The research examined the calculation methods used by pupils in Grades 3-6 when they were presented with problems that could be worked out efficiently and flexibly by applying number sense. The study was conducted with a convenience sample of 179 pupils between the ages 7 years and 10 months to 12 years and 10 months. in mainstream education in…

This study investigates how the approximate number system (ANS) and young children's symbolic skills jointly develop and interact. Specifically, the study aims at disentangling the directionality of the association between ANS acuity and a wide range of symbolic skills that reflect 4- to 5-year-olds' symbolic quantitative knowledge (enumeration…

In this study we investigated the structure of quantitative competence of kindergartners by testing a hypothesized four-factor model of quantitative competence consisting of the components counting, subitizing, additive reasoning and multiplicative reasoning. Data were collected from kindergartners in the Netherlands (n = 334) and in Cyprus (n =…

The research aims at examining the counting skills of children in the preschool period. For this purpose, this study has been planned according to the "survey model". The study group of the research is comprised of 108 children with ages between 60th-72nd months, who attend kindergartens. The "Counting Skills Test" has been…

The use of technologies in mathematics education at all levels has been discussed extensively for a number of years. It is one of the few themes that was the object of two ICMI studies, the most recent being published in 2010. Two new approaches, emerging lately in the teaching and learning of Mathematics at all levels, will be discussed:…

Children with intellectual disabilities face obstacles in their numeracy skills development. Stick intelligence is a learning media that is aimed to help these children enhance their numeracy skills. Therefore, this study aims to identify: (1) the numeracy skills of students with intellectual disabilities before using the mathematical intelligence…

The results of an assessment taken at the start and end of the Reception Year by children in state schools in England over three years were analysed. Over 70,000 children were assessed during this time. The results of the analysis provided evidence of what the average child could do when they started school, and how much progress they made in that…

In Singapore, where primary and secondary students routinely top standardized worldwide mathematics examinations, a paradox emerges: when reaching university, many struggle to apply their skills critically in real-world contexts. This commentary examines the challenges and strategies involved in teaching quantitative reasoning (QR) to…