Young Children Understand Large Numbers Far Earlier Than Expected

It turns out that children understand numbers at a far younger age than researchers once believed. Scientists have found that kids as young as three understand multi-digit numbers and may actually be ready for more direct math instruction when they enter school.

"Contrary to the view that young children do not understand place value and multi-digit numbers, we found that they actually know quite a lot about it," said Kelly Mix, one of the researchers, in a news release. "They are more ready than we think when they enter kindergarten."

Understanding place value is the gateway to higher math skills, such as addition with carrying. There's also a strong tie between trace value skills in early elementary grades and problem-solving ability later on. In other words, children who fail to master place value can face chronic low achievement in mathematics.

In order to see how children learn this particular skill, the researchers tested kids ages three to seven on their ability to identify and compare two- and three-digit numbers. In one task, the children were shown two quantities (such as 128 and 812) and asked to point out which was larger.

"There was a significant improvement in interpreting place value from age three to seven," said Mix in a news release. "But it was remarkable that even the youngest children showed at least some understanding of multi-digit numbers."

The researchers believe that it's very possible that the young children could understand the numbers due to the fact that in today's society, they're bombarded with multi-digit numbers--from phone numbers to street addresses to price tags. In addition, children may be developing partial knowledge of the place value system partly from language. Children often hear multi-digit numbers named while also seeing them in print, such as when parents comment on a calendar.

The findings could mean that children could be trained far younger when it comes to learning numbers. This could give them a leg-up when it comes to their future studies in school.

The findings are published in the journal Child Development.