Does Number Sense Develop with Age?

Overview

Objectives/Goals My objective was to learn if humans can improve their own automatic number sense, or if the ability is innate and set at birth. In addition, I wanted to determine if there is a gender difference in automatic number sense. Methods/Materials After researching characteristics of automatic number sense, I created a math test with problems testing estimating, logical reasoning, and proportional reasoning at a level that could be challenging but answerable at all age levels (if good number sense is present). I tested 52 2nd-grade students, 66 4rh-graders, 56 6th-graders, 61 8th-graders, and 54 10-11th graders; using the same subjects, I also compared results of 146 males and 143 females. I analyzed the results for accuracy estimating items, answering logic and proportion questions, and time in completion. Results My results determined that number sense does improve with age and there is a difference in automatic number sense between males and females. The 8th grade average correct (57.83%) and 10-11 grade (58.33%) was significantly higher than the second grade average (32.5%). Fourth and 6th-grade averages were better than 2nd and similar in significance (44.83% and 49.64% respectively) to each other, but not as accurate as the older two subgroups. In addition, when comparing males to females (regardless of age), males did average higher at 49.25%, compared to females at 47.65%. Estimation abilities and time completion resulted in similar conclusions for age and gender. Conclusions/Discussion Researchers are currently debating the innate vs. learned issue with regards to automatic number sense. My experiment showed, using a significant number of students, that number sense does improve with age, and therefore can and is learned through academic and life experiences. The importance of this finding is in identifying children with a weak number sense early in development so activities can be structured to improve the child#s skills and enhance his or her understanding quickly and easily. The experiment further indicates a natural difference in males vs. females, which validates one theory of brain differences in the genders set through the evolutionary process generations ago.

Competition history

• CSEF 2010 Cognitive Science (Junior Division Only) · Entry J0622

Resources

• CSEF project summary ↗

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