Language experience matters for the emergence of early numerical concepts
Abstract Research has shown a link between the acquisition of numerical concepts and language, but exactly how linguistic input matters for numerical development remains unclear. Here, we examine both symbolic (number word knowledge) and non-symbolic (numerical discrimination) numerical abilities in...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2023-12-01
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| Series: | npj Science of Learning |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-023-00202-w |
| _version_ | 1797398139950333952 |
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| author | Stacee Santos Hiram Brownell Marie Coppola Anna Shusterman Sara Cordes |
| author_facet | Stacee Santos Hiram Brownell Marie Coppola Anna Shusterman Sara Cordes |
| author_sort | Stacee Santos |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Research has shown a link between the acquisition of numerical concepts and language, but exactly how linguistic input matters for numerical development remains unclear. Here, we examine both symbolic (number word knowledge) and non-symbolic (numerical discrimination) numerical abilities in a population in which access to language is limited early in development—oral deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) preschoolers born to hearing parents who do not know a sign language. The oral DHH children demonstrated lower numerical discrimination skills, verbal number knowledge, conceptual understanding of the word “more”, and vocabulary relative to their hearing peers. Importantly, however, analyses revealed that group differences in the numerical tasks, but not vocabulary, disappeared when differences in the amount of time children had had auditory access to spoken language input via hearing technology were taken into account. Results offer insights regarding the role language plays in emerging number concepts. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T01:21:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5bc4d279ae2d486eb6a51b065270d4a3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2056-7936 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T01:21:26Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | npj Science of Learning |
| spelling | doaj.art-5bc4d279ae2d486eb6a51b065270d4a32023-12-10T12:08:06ZengNature Portfolionpj Science of Learning2056-79362023-12-018111110.1038/s41539-023-00202-wLanguage experience matters for the emergence of early numerical conceptsStacee Santos0Hiram Brownell1Marie Coppola2Anna Shusterman3Sara Cordes4Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Boston CollegeDepartment of Psychology & Neuroscience, Boston CollegeDepartments of Psychological Sciences & Linguistics, University of ConnecticutPsychology Department, Wesleyan UniversityDepartment of Psychology & Neuroscience, Boston CollegeAbstract Research has shown a link between the acquisition of numerical concepts and language, but exactly how linguistic input matters for numerical development remains unclear. Here, we examine both symbolic (number word knowledge) and non-symbolic (numerical discrimination) numerical abilities in a population in which access to language is limited early in development—oral deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) preschoolers born to hearing parents who do not know a sign language. The oral DHH children demonstrated lower numerical discrimination skills, verbal number knowledge, conceptual understanding of the word “more”, and vocabulary relative to their hearing peers. Importantly, however, analyses revealed that group differences in the numerical tasks, but not vocabulary, disappeared when differences in the amount of time children had had auditory access to spoken language input via hearing technology were taken into account. Results offer insights regarding the role language plays in emerging number concepts.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-023-00202-w |
| spellingShingle | Stacee Santos Hiram Brownell Marie Coppola Anna Shusterman Sara Cordes Language experience matters for the emergence of early numerical concepts npj Science of Learning |
| title | Language experience matters for the emergence of early numerical concepts |
| title_full | Language experience matters for the emergence of early numerical concepts |
| title_fullStr | Language experience matters for the emergence of early numerical concepts |
| title_full_unstemmed | Language experience matters for the emergence of early numerical concepts |
| title_short | Language experience matters for the emergence of early numerical concepts |
| title_sort | language experience matters for the emergence of early numerical concepts |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-023-00202-w |
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