The Mathematical factors in early Numeracy and their Contribution to Basic Mathematical Computation Abilities in Kindergarten and First Grade among Arabic Speaking

Riham Mutlak Abu- Dahud & Shelley Shaul

The nature of children׳s ability to understand and manipulate numbers is critical to the development of arithmetic skills (Van׳t Noordende et al., 2020). Early mathematical skills are important not only for children׳s success during formal schooling, but also in adulthood during postsecondary education and in different careers (Koponen et al., 2007; Foegen & Lembke, 2009).  Over the last decades, there has been an increased interest in children׳s early mathematical skills, the development of these skills and specifically their contribution to later mathematics achievement. However, these studies have been conducted mainly on English speaking samples or other European languages. Thus, this research investigated the development of early mathematical skills and their contribution to arithmetic operation among native Arabic speakers.

196 Arabic-speaking kindergarten children participated in this study drawn from a larger longitudinal study conducted in Haifa city and in the northern district of Israel. A battery of early mathematics skills measures was administered in kindergarten and arithmetic operation skills measures was administered in first grade. The results revealed  five main factors that the early numeracy measures can be classified into, Arithmetic operation (Factor 1), comparison (Factor 2), Number knowledge (Factor 3), High Thinking (Factor 4), Numbering (Factor 5). Furthermore comparison skills and numbering in kindergarten are the main factors that explain addition skills, while comparison skills and number knowledge skills explained subtraction skills. Similar results were found among first grade children, in addition the children׳s early mathematical skills explained about 20% of the variance of their performance at the beginning of the first grade.