Directionality in the interrelations between approximate number, verbal number, and mathematics in preschool-aged children

A fundamental question in numerical development concerns the directional relation between an early-emerging non-verbal approximate number system (ANS) and culturally acquired verbal number and mathematics knowledge. Using path models on longitudinal data collected in preschool children (M_age = 3.86 years; N = 216; 99 males; 80.8% White; 10.8% Multiracial, 3.8% Latino; 1.9% Black; collected 2013–2017) over 1 year, this study showed that earlier verbal number knowledge was associated with later ANS precision (average β =.32), even after controlling for baseline differences in numerical, general cognitive, and language abilities. In contrast, earlier ANS precision was not associated with later verbal number knowledge (β = −.07) or mathematics abilities (average β =.10). These results suggest that learning about verbal numbers is associated with a sharpening of pre-existing non-verbal numerical abilities.