TY  - UNPB
AV  - public
ID  - discovery10020347
EP  - 267
A1  - Martins-Mourao, Antonio
N2  - Previous research has tended to focus on the development of separate number
components (e.g. counting, addition, written numbers) and so, cannot comment on
how development in one component affect development in others. The purpose of this
thesis was to provide preliminary evidence towards a unifying view about the
development of children's number competence, from early counting skills, at age four,
to knowledge of place value, at age seven. To accomplish that aim 152 children from
three different cohorts (Reception, Year 1 and Year 2) were given thirteen maths tasks,
three times along one school year, assessing their understanding of four separate
number components: counting and knowledge of the number-word sequence;
generation of verbal number-words and the understanding of the structure of the
numeration system; understanding of the arithmetical operations; and the ability to read
and write numbers and understanding of the principles underlying place value. Beyond
the assessment of these various number components, special emphasis was given to
the separate role of each component and the developmental inter-relations amongst
components in the child's development of progressively more complex ideas about
number.
Based on the children's performance on these tasks and the exploration of their
relationships along time, it was possible to outline a preliminary proposal about
children's number development. The evidence suggests that each number component
plays a significant role at key times. For example, no children could develop the
counting-on strategy or succeed in the arithmetical operation tasks without prior
knowledge of continuation of counting. The data also showed that no development is
possible without the inter-related development of several components, at other times.
For example, no child could understand the structure of the decade numeration system
without previous combined understanding of continuation of counting, addition and
multiplication. Between 93% and 97% of the children fitted the model proposed in the
various assessments.
Although limited by the constraints of a correlational design, these findings
suggest that the present inter-relational approach is relevant and worth further
investigation through the introduction of intervention studies and the rigorous
examination of causality.
M1  - Doctoral
PB  - Institute of Education, University of London
Y1  - 2000///
UR  - http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.536180
N1  - Thesis: (PhD) University of London Institute of Education, 2000.
TI  - Childrens understanding of number in the primary school years : a unifying view from early counting knowledge of place value
ER  -