Counting on fine motor skills: links between preschool finger dexterity and numerical skills. Issue 4 (26th October 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Fischer, Ursula; Suggate, Sebastian P.; Schmirl, Judith; Stoeger, Heidrun
• Is Part Of: Developmental science. Volume 21:Issue 4(2018)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2017-10-26
• Subjects: Developmental psychology -- Periodicals; Psychology, Comparative -- Periodicals; 155
• DOI: 10.1111/desc.12623
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1363-755X

Abstract

Abstract: Finger counting is widely considered an important step in children's early mathematical development. Presumably, children's ability to move their fingers during early counting experiences to aid number representation depends in part on their early fine motor skills (FMS). Specifically, FMS should link to children's procedural counting skills through consistent repetition of finger‐counting procedures. Accordingly, we hypothesized that (a) FMS are linked to early counting skills, and (b) greater FMS relate to conceptual counting knowledge (e.g., cardinality, abstraction, order irrelevance) via procedural counting skills (i.e., one–one correspondence and correctness of verbal counting). Preschool children ( N = 177) were administered measures of procedural counting skills, conceptual counting knowledge, FMS, and general cognitive skills along with parent questionnaires on home mathematics and fine motor environment. FMS correlated with procedural counting skills and conceptual counting knowledge after controlling for cognitive skills, chronological age, home mathematics and FMS environments. Moreover, the relationship between FMS and conceptual counting knowledge was mediated by procedural counting skills. Findings suggest that FMS play a role in early counting and therewith conceptual counting knowledge. Abstract : We investigated associations between preschool children's fine motor skills (FMS), their procedural counting skills, and their conceptual counting knowledge. Even when controlling for age, receptive vocabulary, and home learning environment, FMS significantly predicted both procedural and conceptual counting performance. Furthermore, the association between FMS and conceptual counting knowledge was mediated by procedural counting skills, indicating that finger counting procedures in particular drive the association between FMS and numerical development.