Precursors of mathematical learning: a cognitive-environmental approach to understanding and promoting the development of early numerical skills

Referring to Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) and Rubinsten and colleagues’ (2018) theoretical models, the general purpose of this dissertation was to provide a cognitive-environmental approach to the study and promotion of early mathematical skills, underlining the multiplicity of factors that, already at a very early stage, come into play in the emergence and development of math learning from preschool to the beginning of primary school. In line with this main goal, the thesis is essentially divided into two parts: on the one hand, in Chapters 2 and 3, we have examined the role of some cognitive precursors, both domain-general and domain-specific, in predicting typically developing children’s early math knowledge; on the other hand, in Chapters 4 and 5, we have focused on the impact that environmental factors (i.e., the context to which an individual belongs with its peculiar socio-cultural, historical, economic, and political characteristics) may have on the development of early numerical skills. The studies illustreted in the four Chapters strived to fill the following striking gaps in the literature, respectively: a) To date, previous studies conducted on preschoolers have focused mainly on the factors underlying the level of acquisition of emergent math skills at a given time point, without investigating the factors predicting the growth in math competence at such an early age. Moreover, the predictive roles of subitizing ability and ANS acuity are still unclear; b) There is still an absence of shared consensus on how the relative contributions of WM domains and processes to math performance change dynamically during child development, especially before and after the transition to primary school; c) Literature on EFs is lacking on children living in war-affected contexts, and related refugee conditions, as well as no previous study has evaluated early mathematical abilities in children living in highly deprived contexts like these; d) The few studies conducted on EFs development in war contexts have focused exclusively on emotional control and trauma and, to date, no EFs training has ever been specifically implemented in favour of children living in critical contexts such as refugee camps in Kurdistan. In the light of these gaps in the literature, the studies presented in this dissertation addressed the following aims: a) To investigate the domain-general and domain-specific cognitive predictors of growth in typically developing children’s early numerical competence through the first two years of preschool (Chapter 2); b) To examine how the relative contributions of WM domains and processes to typically developing children’s math performance change dynamically before and after the transition to primary school (Chapter 3); c) To explore EFs and early mathematical skills in children living in deprived environments (i.e., war context and refugee condition) (Chapter 4); d) To further investigate hot and cool EFs in children living in a war context who survived genocide and implement a training program to improve these children’s EFs (Chapter 5). In summary, the studies presented in this dissertation have the aim to investigate and promote factors underlying school readiness, specifically mathematical learning, enhancing the organization of age-appropriate and effective trainings interventions that could base children’s learning and achievement abilities to become aware citizens, providing specific tools functional to the acquisition of a political and economic identity to contrast manipulation of minority groups. Taken together, the findings of this dissertation would be beneficial from both a theoretical, practical, and humanitarian point of view, moving in the direction of improving mathematical competence as well as the general quality of life of children from all over the world.