AAAS' EurekaAlert describes research from University of Missouri which finds that kindergarteners are more successful when they understand the meaning of number words and can manipulate number sets.
While many studies have been conducted on infants' and preschoolers' math competencies, few have evaluated how toddlers' basic mathematics knowledge relates to early elementary school success. Now, in a study funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), researchers at the University of Missouri discovered that preschoolers who better process words associated with numbers, such as "three" or "four," and understand the quantities associated with these words are more likely to have success with math when they enter kindergarten. Findings also reveal that children who have a basic understanding that addition increases quantity and subtraction decreases it are much better prepared for math in school. Scientists contend that emphasis on these two skillsets could lead to greater success in school.
[...] The study, "Kindergarteners' fluent processing of symbolic numerical magnitude is predicted by their cardinal knowledge and implicit understanding of arithmetic 2 years earlier," recently was published in the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology. The NSF (Grant 1250359) and the University of Missouri Research Board provided funding for the project.
[AAAS = American Association for the Advancement of Science. -Ed.]
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 06 2016, @01:29AM
Maybe basic math skillz and number theory helps to "grasp" the concept of time better?
Instead of each day being a repeat of the day before, the concept of "numbering" can help manage a continuity instead of a repeat?
This might lead to a situation where differences are noticed more easily and thus allow to speculate on future repeats and their possible mitigation ... thus giving the impression of a smarter human?