Young Children's Counting of Numbered Objects or Numerals

Abstract

Following an observation by Hughes (1986), two experiments concerned the extent to which children try to make use of numbering that is already present in an array when counting it. In the first experiment 96 4- and 5-yr.-old children counted sequentially numbered circles arranged, for different experimental groups, in horizontal lines, vertical lines, circles, and random arrays. Starting consistently at the circle labelled ‘1’ was taken as evidence of an intention to count by following the printed numerals. This intention was exhibited equally by the different groups and by significantly more 5-yr.-olds than 4-yr.-olds. In the second experiment 64 4-yr.-olds counted arrays that varied, across experimental groups, in whether they were composed of sequentially numbered circles or sequential numerals, and the number of circles/numerals present. Following the counting task all children were given a numeral recognition task which tested their ability to find numerals corresponding to number labels. In the counting task the intention to follow the printed numerals was exhibited equally by the different groups. There was a strong relationship between starting consistently at the ‘1’ and performance on the recognition task. The results suggest that failure to try to make use of numbering that is already present is largely limited to preschoolers and primarily reflects an inability to read numerals.