The Research Of Approximate Number Representation Of School-age Children

The approximate number system (ANS) is an important part of core systems of number,together with the precise number system to explain our basic number sense. It became thebasis of complex concept of number unique to humans. The capability of the approximatenumber representation increases with age, and exists individual differences. It is closelyrelated to the math performance, and intervention for children may increase the mathematicalcalculation. This research focuses on the trend and level of approximate numberrepresentation development in learning age when learning maths. Whether children in schoolage do have the capability of abstract number information? Whether do children in school agehave the capability of abstract number information? Through a mixed dots presentation,Experiment1discusses the ability level and developing trend of approximate numberrepresentation of school-age children. In Experiment2, the presentation is separate dotsinstead of mixed dots in Experiment1, to research whether different presentation influencesthe ability of approximate number representation. In Experiment3, the stimulus is dynamicsequences instead of static dots in Experiment2, to research whether different stimulus modeinfluences the ability of approximate number representation. The results showed that1)approximate number representation development increased with age in school period. Theperformance of children in fifth grade was better than children in other grades in higher ratiolevel. The capability of approximate number representation in entire school age developedslowly.2) The different presentation (mixed presentation and separate presentation) did notaffect the level of approximate number representation. The performance of separate dots isbetter than mixed dots.3) The approximate number representation was less affected by thestimulation pattern (static dots and dynamic sequences). The data suggest that children inschool age have the capability of abstract number information.