In this article, we review research literature concerning number sense from several related fields. Whereas other authors have pointed to difficulty defining number sense or to some degree of inconsistency in the literature, we argue instead that this is a case of polysemy: three constructs given the same name. Our purpose is to clarify the…

Generally, people respond faster to small numbers with left-sided responses and large numbers with right-sided responses, a pattern known as the SNARC (spatial numerical association of response codes) effect. The SNARC effect is interpreted as evidence for amodal automatic access of magnitude and its spatial associations, because it occurs in…

There is evidence of a relation between the approximate number system (ANS) and later mathematics achievement. Researchers have proposed various mediators of this relation, including executive functioning (EF), numeral knowledge, and mathematical language. The goal of the present study was to determine which factors mediate the relation between…

Psychological studies of early numerical development fill a void in mathematics education research. However, conflations between magnitude awareness and number, and over-attributions of researcher conceptions to children, have led to psychological models that are at odds with findings from mathematics educators on later numerical development. In…

Arguably one of the most under-appreciated, yet ubiquitous and frequently utilized aspects of modern, globalized society, our number system exemplifies how we are inextricably interconnected. Indeed, without a universal number system, there would be no global collaboration and no global solutions.

Most any students can explain the meaning of "a[superscript b]", for "a" [element-of] [set of real numbers] and for "b" [element-of] [set of integers]. And some students may be able to explain the meaning of "(a + bi)[superscript c]," for "a, b" [element-of] [set of real numbers] and for…

We assessed a range of theoretically critical predictors (numerosity discrimination, number knowledge, counting, language, executive function and finger gnosis) of early arithmetic development in a large unselected sample of 569 children at school entry. Assessments were repeated 12 months later. Although all predictors (except finger gnosis) were…

This is an edited extract from the keynote address given by Dr. Chris Wetherell at the 26th Biennial Conference of the Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers Inc. The author investigates the surprisingly rich structure that exists within a simple arrangement of numbers: the times tables.

We performed a meta-analysis of approximate number system (ANS) training studies to investigate the strength of the causal effects of practicing ANS related tasks on symbolic math performance. Across 33 effect sizes from 11 studies involving 754 participants, for which neither the treatment nor control group received symbolic training, we found a…

In this paper, dialogue among a group of adult women with basic adult education is examined. Women read books of mathematics in the context of a "dialogic mathematics gathering" (DMG). There is limited evidence in research on how adults develop their 'numerical understanding'. The objective of this study is to analyze how adults engage…

Prospective elementary school teachers (PTs) come to their mathematics courses fluent in using procedures for adding and subtracting multidigit whole numbers, but many are unaware of the essential features inherent in understanding the base-ten place-value system (i.e., grouping, place value, base). Understanding these features is crucial to…

Some children struggle with mathematics. Among these children, some of them may be learners with mathematical difficulties. While research has revealed multiple deficits as candidate causes for mathematical difficulties and probable subtypes, the cognitive profiles of these subtypes are not fully understood. Moreover, we have yet to discover…

This study investigated the impact of a chatbot-based micro-learning system on students' learning motivation and performance. A quasi-experiment was conducted with 99 first-year students taking part in a basic computer course on number system conversion. The students were assigned to a traditional learning group or a chatbot-based micro-learning…

This study seeks to analyse the awareness of the pre-service teachers on the counting methods, systems and tools used in the prehistoric method and the Ancient period and to examine the distribution of this awareness by gender. A total of 42 sophomore-level students studying at a university in the Western Black Sea region, Turkey, participated in…

Children's understanding of the quantities represented by number words (i.e., cardinality) is a surprisingly protracted but foundational step in their learning of formal mathematics. The development of cardinal knowledge is related to one or two core, inherent systems--the approximate number system (ANS) and the object tracking system (OTS)--but…