Poster #71 - Drawing and STEM Learning: Can tracing improve number recognition in preschoolers?

• In Event: 3-106 - Poster Session 11
  In Poster Session: PS 11 Section - Education, Schooling

Integrative Statement

Beginning in preschool, differences in foundational math abilities can lead to skill gaps in elementary and high school (Duncan et al., 2007). A meta-analysis found that early math concepts, including numeral recognition, are the most significant predictor of later school success in mathematics achievement (Duncan et al., 2007).

One promising way to improve children’s learning is by drawing. Drawing new concepts leads to both verbal and nonverbal representations of concepts. Since information is encoded using both systems this can enhance processing and increase opportunities for retrieval (Van Meter & Garner, 2005). For example, preschoolers that hand-wrote letters had significantly better letter recognition than preschoolers that typed the letters on a keyboard (Longcamp et al., 2005). This suggests that drawing can be used to improve visual recognition. If these findings could be extended to Arabic numerals, drawing could be implemented as a method of improving early STEM education.

In this pilot study, we examined whether drawing could improve preschoolers’ recognition of two-digit Arabic numerals. We hypothesized that children who traced numerals would recognize more numbers than children who looked at the numerals. We recruited 28 children (15 boys) between the ages of 36 and 60 months (M=49.9, SD=5.7) from local preschools. First, children completed a numeral recognition pre-test consisting of nine numerals ranging from 12 to 98. Children were shown sheets of paper (Figure 1) with four numerals that contained the target numeral (e.g. 63), one single-digit numeral (e.g. 5) a different target numeral from the study (e.g. 27), and the reverse target numeral (e.g. 36). The researcher said the target numeral aloud and children were asked to point to it. The order of the sheets and the positions of the numerals were randomized. Next, children were randomly assigned to one of two training conditions: draw or look. In the draw condition, children were presented with a dotted version of the target numeral and were asked to trace the numeral with a marker (Figure 2). In the look condition, children were presented with the target numeral on a piece of paper and were asked to look at the numeral for 12 seconds. After training, children completed a numeral recognition post-test where the same numeral sheets were presented and completed a delayed post-test two days later.

A mixed design ANOVA with time (3) as the repeated measure and condition as the between subjects factors was performed on numeral recognition. Preliminary results suggest that children in the drawing condition had higher numeral recognition on the delayed post-test than children in the looking condition. We also ran a regression with numeral recognition at delayed post-test as the dependent variable and age group, gender, and condition as the predictors. The regression model was significant, R2=.366, p=.025. Being a boy predicted better number recognition at delayed post-test (B=-.395, p=.004). These preliminary results suggest that tracing numerals does affect processing and improve recognition, which would indicate that drawing can be used as a tool to improve STEM learning in preschool classrooms.

Authors

• Katherine Papazian, CUNY Graduate Center
  Presenting Author

• Jennifer E. Drake, Brooklyn College, CUNY
  Non-Presenting Author