There is a new study in Nature this month showing that basic inherent numerical understanding predicts later mathematical ability. It is increasingly being shown that children (and primates) are born with an inbuilt understanding of number. This basic number ability comprises of being able to estimate and recognise the number of objects in a set (numerosities). Infants as young as one week old react differently to different groups of up to 4 objects suggesting that they recognise the difference between the numbers of objects. This latest study by Justin Halberda and colleagues from John Hopkins University, Baltimore used a test of non verbal number approximation with a group of 14 year olds. The 14 year olds were shown two groups of coloured dots and had to estimate which group was more numerous. The study showed that firstly that there were wide individual differences between the 14 year olds in terms of their ability to make correct non verbal number approximations and secondly that these differences correlate with differences on standard maths tests dating back to kindergarten. This suggests that this basic inherent understanding of number present from birth predicts how well you do at maths throughout school. One of the leading experts in the neuropsychology of maths in the UK Professor Brian Butterworth at UCL has argued for a long time that this difficulty in estimating numerosities lies at the basis for dyscalculia (specific difficulty with maths). He describes this in more detail in our book on Child Neuropsychology (see link at the side of the page). What is uncertain at the moment is what you can do about this. There is no evidence yet to show how you can improve your understanding of numerosities.

The study itself can be found at the publications section of the webpage of the Laboratory of Child Development at the John Hopkins University