The Cognitive Foundations of Early Childhood Numeracy

Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of the challenges facing young children as they acquire early number concepts, and the power of domain general processes to support this learning. Four specific domain general cognitive processes are reviewed—statistical learning, structure mapping, language acquisition, and spatial cognition. For each one, there is evidence presented for the process itself in the literature on early childhood learning, and evidence presented for its contribution to number learning in the literature on number concept development. These processes alone might explain the origins of numeracy without appealing to inborn enumeration or quantitative representations. In either case, these processes clearly play a major role and may be useful leverage points for teachers, caregivers, and parents seeking to support children's learning.