Desempeño numérico de los niños de primer año de básica

Abstract

Children´s numerical skills in kindergarten (first year of basic education in Ecuador) highly predicts their academic achievement on later age, suggesting that an early evaluation of this abilities is fundamental in order to implement remedial programs that help children to improve their future academic achievement. The aim of the present study was to examine first grade children´s numerical skills via the Early Mathematical Test. Participants were 100 first grade children from four private schools of Cuenca. Results indicated that children show a good level of numerical skills, and that their ability to establish logical relations was superior than their ability to count. No gender differences were observed. Additionally, significant differences in children´s numerical performance between schools were found. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed.