ANS acuity correlates with later number sets fluency but does not emerge as a unique predictor once symbolic knowledge is controlled¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · associational r2 · q3
Currency · newest study 2016 · checked against its sources 2026-10-20 (automated, 1 of 1 entry) · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? Although ANS acuity correlated with later number sets performance (r = .32 at beginning, r = .39 at end of preschool), it did not emerge as a predictor in the Bayes or regression models. → Moore 2016

Evidence¶

Moore 2016¶

Moore, A. M., vanMarle, K., & Geary, D. C. (2016). Kindergartners' Fluent Processing of Symbolic Numerical Magnitude is Predicted by Their Cardinal Knowledge and Implicit Understanding of Arithmetic Two Years Earlier. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2016.05.003

q3 · i? · associational · r2

In the longitudinal analysis of 112 children, ANS acuity (Panamath percent correct) correlated with number sets (r = .32 beginning, r = .39 end of preschool) but "did not emerge as a predictor of number sets performance", even for the nonsymbolic item set, once symbolic knowledge was considered.

"our measure of ANS acuity did not emerge as a predictor of number sets performance, especially for the nonsymbolic set of items."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Number Sense — predictor: learners who differ on it differ in outcomes

Related Claims¶

• Preschoolers' cardinal knowledge predicts fluent processing of symbolic and nonsymbolic magnitudes on the kindergarten number sets test two years later — related
• Preschoolers' implicit understanding of arithmetic (nonverbal calculation) predicts later number sets fluency above and beyond cardinal knowledge — related
• ANS acuity is not related to algebra achievement once covariates are controlled, whereas retrieval errors remain predictive — related
• Children's knower level of verbal number words is cross-sectionally associated with ANS acuity even after controlling for age and sex — related
• ANS acuity (w) did not significantly improve within children over the six-month period in the session-level analysis, though a hierarchical linear model detected a linear increase in percent correct — related
• Number sense measures are non-significant predictors of math once more robust predictors are included — possibly the same claim (merge candidate)
• Point-to-x is the most consistent end-of-preschool predictor of kindergarten number sets performance across item types — related
• Engaging symbolic number representations does not by itself prime subsequent symbolic arithmetic: second test-set performance declined in both training groups — related
• ANS acuity improves throughout development, from w = 0.525 at age 3 to w = 0.179 at age 6 and w = 0.108 in adulthood — related
• Early ANS acuity does not predict later expressive vocabulary; only initial vocabulary size predicts vocabulary six months later — related
• ANS acuity is a unique concurrent predictor of preschool math ability beyond expressive vocabulary, non-numerical attention RT, and memory span — related
• The authors hypothesize DD children's first deficit is dysfunction in building the exact representation of symbolic numbers, with reduced ANS acuity as a consequence rather than a cause — related
• Kindergarten children's non-symbolic addition performance correlates with end-of-year mathematics achievement, independent of literacy (Experiment 1) — related
• Non-symbolic addition performance correlates with mathematics achievement in a new sample, surviving controls for verbal intelligence and literacy (Experiment 2) — reports the opposite
• Symbolic number magnitude training, but not non-symbolic training, significantly improves preschoolers' exact arithmetic — related
• Kindergarten symbolic number variables uniquely predict grade 1 math outcomes over and above counting and domain general predictors — related
• Vocabulary adds significantly to predicting knower-level after age, but age does not add after vocabulary, suggesting age does not mediate the vocabulary–number-knowledge link. — related
• Non-symbolic arithmetic performance correlates with children's mastery of number words and Arabic symbols (Experiment 2) — related
• Behavioral nonsymbolic numerosity acuity (RT and accuracy ratio effects) does not reliably predict formal math achievement in typical to high-achieving participants aged 6 to 34 — related
• Early ANS acuity (accuracy and RT) uniquely predicts preschoolers' math ability six months later, controlling for initial math ability, age, and expressive vocabulary — related
• Symbol mastery accounts for the association between non-symbolic arithmetic and school mathematics achievement in hierarchical regression — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Cross-cultural evidence: adults without a counting system fail to develop exact representations of numbers beyond 3 or 4 despite a normal ANS — related
• Symbolic magnitude comparison is a robust and consistent longitudinal predictor of children's future mathematical achievement across kindergarten, grade 1 and grade 2 — related
• Number knowledge and numerosity discrimination are unique longitudinal predictors of arithmetic development over the first year of formal education — related
• School-entry assessment of numerosity judgments and Arabic number knowledge may identify children at risk of arithmetic difficulties — related
• Numeral comparison, but not quantity enumeration, uniquely accounts for variation in basic calculation fluency — related
• Non-verbal test materials add little to predicting achievement beyond verbal tests and mental age — related