Parents and kindergartners: money and number, practices, concepts and skills

Abstract

This literature review focuses on the current understanding of how young children's number concepts, and monetary concepts and monetary skills develop, and how parenting practices influence this learning for their children. Research reveals that children's number concepts emerge from their numerosity in infancy. According to Gelman and Gallistel, number concepts are number abstraction, such as one-to-one correspondence, cardinality, and comparison of numbers. Counting is the common way for young children to leam number concepts. Young children, 2to 6-year-olds, can leam numbers. Numbers 1 to 7 are counted accurately by many 5-year-olds. Similarly, monetary concepts are an aspect of money abstraction, such as identifying money and comparing the value of money. Monetary skills are considered as money reasoning, such as young children's paying in buying-selling activities. Most 3-year-olds can distinguish between money and non-money items and can name pennies. For 4and 5-year-olds, they can name a penny, a nickel, and a dime, and compare the value of coins. Five-year-olds have basic knowledge of money and the functions of money, business practices, and banks. Several studies have indicated that parenting was a significant factor influencing children's learning of numbers and money. Parents who provided more number teaming practices at home or participated in more school activities benefited their children's achievement in mathematics. Parents who provided more direct money experiences at home helped their children acquire monetary knowledge. 1