A recent study completed through the National Institute of Health (NIH) Children found that children who failed to acquire a specific set of basic math skills in First Grade scored far behind their peers by Seventh Grade on a test of the mathematical abilities needed to function in adult life.
The specific math skill that must be learned early in a child’s education is number system knowledge. Number knowledge is the ability to relate a quantity to the numerical symbol that represents it, to manipulate quantities and to make calculations.
This skill is the basis for all other mathematics abilities, including those necessary for the math skills needed to function as an adult member of society. Number system knowledge has several core principles:
- Numbers represent different magnitudes (five is bigger than four).
- Number relationships stay the same, even though numbers may vary. For example, the difference between 1 and 2 is the same as the difference between 30 and 31.
- Quantities can be represented by symbolic figures (***= the numeral 3 or ###### = the numeral 6).
- Numbers can be broken into component parts (5 is made up of 2 and 3 or 1 and 4).
If your child is struggling to learn any of the Number System’s core principles, then math intervention is strongly recommended.
Educators at Child and Family Development are especially trained to identify math weaknesses in children and remediate any math deficits. Contact an educational specialist at either the Midtown or the South Charlotte location to discuss your concerns. Click here for more information and to contact us.
Click here for graphics that illustrate number system knowledge and depicting the study results.
