Article Version of Record

Re-thinking ‘normal’ development in the early learning of number

Author(s) / Creator(s)

Coles, Alf
Sinclair, Nathalie

Abstract / Description

In this article we suggest that, notwithstanding noted differences, one unmarked similarity across psychology and mathematics education is the continued dominance of the view that there is a ‘normal’ path of development. We focus particularly on the case of the early learning of number and point to evidence that puts into question the dominant narrative of how number sense develops through the concrete and the cardinal. Recent neuroscience findings have raised the potential significance of ordinal approaches to learning number, which in privileging the symbolic—and hence the abstract—reverse one aspect of the ‘normal’ development order. We draw on empirical evidence to suggest that what children can do, and in what order, is sensitive to, among other things, the curriculum approach—and also the tools they have at their disposition. We draw out implications from our work for curriculum organisation in the early years of schooling, to disrupt taken-for-granted paths.

Keyword(s)

early number development mathematics teaching technology

Persistent Identifier

Date of first publication

2018-06-07

Journal title

Journal of Numerical Cognition

Volume

4

Issue

1

Page numbers

136–158

Publisher

PsychOpen GOLD

Publication status

publishedVersion

Review status

peerReviewed

Is version of

Citation

Coles, A., & Sinclair, N. (2018). Re-thinking ‘normal’ development in the early learning of number. Journal of Numerical Cognition, 4(1), 136–158. https://doi.org/10.5964/jnc.v4i1.101
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Coles, Alf
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Sinclair, Nathalie
  • PsychArchives acquisition timestamp
    2018-11-21T11:42:52Z
  • Made available on
    2018-11-21T11:42:52Z
  • Date of first publication
    2018-06-07
  • Abstract / Description
    In this article we suggest that, notwithstanding noted differences, one unmarked similarity across psychology and mathematics education is the continued dominance of the view that there is a ‘normal’ path of development. We focus particularly on the case of the early learning of number and point to evidence that puts into question the dominant narrative of how number sense develops through the concrete and the cardinal. Recent neuroscience findings have raised the potential significance of ordinal approaches to learning number, which in privileging the symbolic—and hence the abstract—reverse one aspect of the ‘normal’ development order. We draw on empirical evidence to suggest that what children can do, and in what order, is sensitive to, among other things, the curriculum approach—and also the tools they have at their disposition. We draw out implications from our work for curriculum organisation in the early years of schooling, to disrupt taken-for-granted paths.
    en_US
  • Publication status
    publishedVersion
  • Review status
    peerReviewed
  • Citation
    Coles, A., & Sinclair, N. (2018). Re-thinking ‘normal’ development in the early learning of number. Journal of Numerical Cognition, 4(1), 136–158. https://doi.org/10.5964/jnc.v4i1.101
    en_US
  • ISSN
    2363-8761
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12034/1280
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.1472
  • Language of content
    eng
  • Publisher
    PsychOpen GOLD
  • Is version of
    https://doi.org/10.5964/jnc.v4i1.101
  • Keyword(s)
    early number
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    development
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    mathematics
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    teaching
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    technology
    en_US
  • Dewey Decimal Classification number(s)
    150
  • Title
    Re-thinking ‘normal’ development in the early learning of number
    en_US
  • DRO type
    article
  • Issue
    1
  • Journal title
    Journal of Numerical Cognition
  • Page numbers
    136–158
  • Volume
    4
  • Visible tag(s)
    Version of Record