Finger Rapid Automatized Naming (RAN) predicts the development of numerical representations better than finger gnosis

Abstract

Fingers have been recurrently associated with number development and mathematical achievement. Specifically finger gnosis have been considered as a potential precursor of numerical learning. However recent findings cast doubt on the existence of a link between finger gnosis and numerical skills. In fact, finger gnosis and canonical finger representations are both different aspects that could influence numerical development but have not been distinguished in previous research. The current study aimed at dissociating the specific contribution of both aspects in a longitudinal setting. Children were tested twice: at the end of kindergarten and nine months later, in first grade. We used two specific finger tasks a finger gnosis task and a rapid-automatized-naming of finger numeral configurations (finger RAN). Numerical representation was assessed by number line estimations in kindergarten and first grade. Results showed that finger gnosis were not related to numerical representation accuracy at any time point. Finger RAN performances though were uniquely related to the numerical representation accuracy one year later, even out of the range of finger counting. The visual recognition of numbers as supported by finger configuration thus seems to be important when fingers support numerical representations. The present findings have theoretical implications about the link between fingers and number(s) across development.