The Development of the Number-Word Sequence in the Counting of Three-Year-Olds

Abstract

Even before formal schooling begins, there are significant developments in children's counting ability (e.g., Baroody & Ginsburg, 1982; Fuson & Hall, 1983; Gelman & Gallistel, 1978; Ginsburg, 1982; Schaeffer, Eggleston, & Scott, 1974). The child begins to learn the number-word sequence (rote counting) and then uses this sequence to count sets (object counting). Recently, some researchers (e.g., Briars & Siegler, 1981; Fuson & Hall, 1983; Wagner & Walters, 1982) have questioned Gelman and Gallistel's (1978) assertion that these two counting abilities are governed by (implicit) principles. According to Gelman and Gallistel (1978), a one-one principle underlies children's ability to count objects: In enumerating a set, one and only one [number-sequence word] must be assigned to each item in the (p. 90). Their evidence indicated that, although not always performing flawlessly, children as young as 21/2 years tend to tag each item of a set only oncethereby honoring the one-one principle. On the other hand, Wagner and Walters (1982) found that 2and 3-year-olds tended to use a list exhaustion scheme. This was manifested in one of two ways, depending on set size. If a set was smaller than the child's count sequence, the child would tend to exhaust the available sequence, perhaps by double tagging the elements of the set (e.g., given a set of two objects, a child who knew one, two, three, four might respond