ERIC Number: ED616603
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2019
Pages: 33
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-
EISSN: N/A
Subitizing: The Neglected Quantifier
Clements, Douglas H.; Sarama, Julie; MacDonald, Beth L.
Research in Mathematics Education
We define and describe how subitizing activity develops and relates to early quantifiers in mathematics. Subitizing is the direct perceptual apprehension and identification of the numerosity of a small group of items. Although subitizing is too often a neglected quantifier in educational practice, it has been extensively studied as a critical cognitive process. We believe that subitizing also helps explain early cognitive processes that relate to early number development and thus deserves more instructional attention. We also contend that integrating developmental/cognitive psychology and mathematics education research affords opportunities to develop learning trajectories for subitizing. A complete learning trajectory includes three components: "goal," "developmental progression," or learning path through which children move through levels of thinking, and "instruction." Such a learning trajectory thus helps establish goals for educational purposes and frames instructional tasks and/or teaching practices. Through this chapter, it is our hope that early childhood educators and researchers begin to understand how to develop critical educational tools for early childhood mathematics instruction. Through this instruction, we believe that children will be able to use subitizing to discover critical properties of number and build on subitizing to develop capabilities such as unitizing, cardinality, and arithmetic capabilities. [For the complete volume, "Constructing Number: Merging Perspectives from Psychology and Mathematics Education. Research in Mathematics Education," see ED616587.]
Descriptors: Numbers, Perception, Mathematics, Mathematics Instruction, Early Childhood Education, Sequential Approach, Cognitive Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Student Development
Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. One New York Plaza, Suite 4600 New York, NY 10004. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-460-1700; e-mail:customerservice@springernature.com; Web site: https://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2129/gp/education-language
Publication Type: Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Early Childhood Education
Audience: Teachers; Researchers
Language: English
Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: DRL1222944