Authors:
Elida Laski & Robert Siegler
Abstract:
We tested the hypothesis that encoding the numerical–spatial relations in a number board game is a key process in promoting learning from playing such games. Experiment 1 used a microgenetic design to examine the effects on learning of the type of counting procedure that children use. As predicted, having kindergartners count-on from their current number on the board while playing a 0–100 number board game facilitated their encoding of the numerical–spatial relations on the game board and improved their number line estimates, numeral identification, and count-on skill. Playing the same game using the standard count-from-1 procedure led to considerably less learning. Experiment 2 demonstrated that comparable improvement in number line estimation does not occur with practice encoding the numerals 1–100 outside of the context of a number board game. The general importance of aligning learning activities and physical materials with desired mental representations is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)
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Reference:
Laski, E. V., & Siegler, R. S. (2014). Learning from number board games: You learn what you encode. Developmental Psychology, 50, 853–864.