Putting a Finger on Numerical Development – Reviewing the Contributions of Kindergarten Finger Gnosis and Fine Motor Skills to Numerical Abilities
The well-documented association between fingers and numbers is not only based on the observation that most children use their fingers for counting and initial calculation, but also on extensive behavioral and neuro-functional evidence. In this article, we critically review developmental studies eval...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2020-05-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01012/full |
| _version_ | 1818027376061186048 |
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| author | Roberta Barrocas Stephanie Roesch Caterina Gawrilow Korbinian Moeller Korbinian Moeller Korbinian Moeller |
| author_facet | Roberta Barrocas Stephanie Roesch Caterina Gawrilow Korbinian Moeller Korbinian Moeller Korbinian Moeller |
| author_sort | Roberta Barrocas |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The well-documented association between fingers and numbers is not only based on the observation that most children use their fingers for counting and initial calculation, but also on extensive behavioral and neuro-functional evidence. In this article, we critically review developmental studies evaluating the association between finger sensorimotor skills (i.e., finger gnosis and fine motor skills) and numerical abilities. In sum, reviewed studies were found to provide evidential value and indicated that both finger gnosis and fine motor skills predict measures of counting, number system knowledge, number magnitude processing, and calculation ability. Therefore, specific and unique contributions of both finger gnosis and fine motor skills to the development of numerical skills seem to be substantiated. Through critical consideration of the reviewed evidence, we suggest that the association of finger gnosis and fine motor skills with numerical abilities may emerge from a combination of functional and redeployment mechanisms, in which the early use of finger-based numerical strategies during childhood might be the developmental process by which number representations become intertwined with the finger sensorimotor system, which carries an innate predisposition for said association to unfold. Further research is nonetheless necessary to clarify the causal mechanisms underlying this association. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T04:46:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a939d97259a145ff955fc97e3aefdd86 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T04:46:55Z |
| publishDate | 2020-05-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-a939d97259a145ff955fc97e3aefdd862022-12-22T02:01:44ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782020-05-011110.3389/fpsyg.2020.01012509086Putting a Finger on Numerical Development – Reviewing the Contributions of Kindergarten Finger Gnosis and Fine Motor Skills to Numerical AbilitiesRoberta Barrocas0Stephanie Roesch1Caterina Gawrilow2Korbinian Moeller3Korbinian Moeller4Korbinian Moeller5Leibniz-Institut fuer Wissensmedien, Tuebingen, GermanyLeibniz-Institut fuer Wissensmedien, Tuebingen, GermanyDepartment of Psychology, LEAD Graduate School & Research Network, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Tuebingen, GermanyLeibniz-Institut fuer Wissensmedien, Tuebingen, GermanyDepartment of Psychology, LEAD Graduate School & Research Network, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Tuebingen, GermanyCentre for Mathematical Cognition, Loughborough University, Loughborough, United KingdomThe well-documented association between fingers and numbers is not only based on the observation that most children use their fingers for counting and initial calculation, but also on extensive behavioral and neuro-functional evidence. In this article, we critically review developmental studies evaluating the association between finger sensorimotor skills (i.e., finger gnosis and fine motor skills) and numerical abilities. In sum, reviewed studies were found to provide evidential value and indicated that both finger gnosis and fine motor skills predict measures of counting, number system knowledge, number magnitude processing, and calculation ability. Therefore, specific and unique contributions of both finger gnosis and fine motor skills to the development of numerical skills seem to be substantiated. Through critical consideration of the reviewed evidence, we suggest that the association of finger gnosis and fine motor skills with numerical abilities may emerge from a combination of functional and redeployment mechanisms, in which the early use of finger-based numerical strategies during childhood might be the developmental process by which number representations become intertwined with the finger sensorimotor system, which carries an innate predisposition for said association to unfold. Further research is nonetheless necessary to clarify the causal mechanisms underlying this association.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01012/fullfinger gnosisfine motor skillsfinger countingnumerical developmentembodied numerosityfinger-based numerical strategies |
| spellingShingle | Roberta Barrocas Stephanie Roesch Caterina Gawrilow Korbinian Moeller Korbinian Moeller Korbinian Moeller Putting a Finger on Numerical Development – Reviewing the Contributions of Kindergarten Finger Gnosis and Fine Motor Skills to Numerical Abilities Frontiers in Psychology finger gnosis fine motor skills finger counting numerical development embodied numerosity finger-based numerical strategies |
| title | Putting a Finger on Numerical Development – Reviewing the Contributions of Kindergarten Finger Gnosis and Fine Motor Skills to Numerical Abilities |
| title_full | Putting a Finger on Numerical Development – Reviewing the Contributions of Kindergarten Finger Gnosis and Fine Motor Skills to Numerical Abilities |
| title_fullStr | Putting a Finger on Numerical Development – Reviewing the Contributions of Kindergarten Finger Gnosis and Fine Motor Skills to Numerical Abilities |
| title_full_unstemmed | Putting a Finger on Numerical Development – Reviewing the Contributions of Kindergarten Finger Gnosis and Fine Motor Skills to Numerical Abilities |
| title_short | Putting a Finger on Numerical Development – Reviewing the Contributions of Kindergarten Finger Gnosis and Fine Motor Skills to Numerical Abilities |
| title_sort | putting a finger on numerical development reviewing the contributions of kindergarten finger gnosis and fine motor skills to numerical abilities |
| topic | finger gnosis fine motor skills finger counting numerical development embodied numerosity finger-based numerical strategies |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01012/full |
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