Brain scientists, educators, economists, and public health experts agree that that the foundation for success begins during pregnancy and is built through age 5, before many children enter formal K-12 schooling.
A new study suggests that math skills learned in preschool can predict success later in life. The study, published in the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, evaluated 112 preschool children, age 3 to 5 years old, on their math skills upon entering and leaving preschool. Findings revealed that study participants were more likely to do well in math when entering kindergarten if they grasped two basic concepts: words associated with numbers, and the quantities they represent. Also, preschoolers were more successful in school later on when they understood the concept of addition and subtraction, meaning they had more or less of something.
Findings from the new study can help determine what children are taught before they enter kindergarten and beyond – setting up our youngest learners for success in the future.
Learn more by reading the full study here.