Bailey Strohl writes about a longitudinal study completed by the University of Missouri (funded by the National Science Foundation) that students who demonstrate greater abilities to process numbers and concepts of quantities are far more likely to succeed in kindergarten and beyond. Essentially the study suggests that these markers in preschool could predict future academic performance.
University of Missouri Study hopes to bridge the gap between Kindergarten and College.
The study centers on students who have been identified to be at risk of failure. The study is mainly focused on how bridge between preschool and subsequent years in school is constructed. Furthermore, it aims to fortify and improve that bridge. By making the bridge stronger, the researchers involved with this study hope that fewer students are left behind.
In a study funded by the National Science Foundation, researchers at the University of Missouri discovered that preschoolers who better process words associated with numbers and understand the quantities associated with the words are more likely to have success with math when they enter kindergarten.
Laura Lurns · Learning Success expert
Key takeaways
- New study suggests that science may be able to narrow down which lessons are most effective.
- Young children that understand the definition of addition and subtraction are more prepared to learn math in school.
- Preschoolers who understand the definitions of mathematical jargon perform better when they start working with numbers.
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