The Enhancement of Number Sense Through the Interactive Reading of Mathematical Stories in Kindergarten
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22043576 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Maryam Ghaith Almulhim (0000-0003-0976-8676, King Faisal University, corresponding author), Taro Fujita (0000-0002-3547-456X, University of Exeter) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 16 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 296 |
| Publication date | 2026-02-11 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Education Sciences (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2227-7102 • E-ISSN: 2227-7102 |
| Publisher | MDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT) |
| DOI | 10.3390/educsci16020296 |
| OpenAlex | W7128586886 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 44 |
Developing children’s number sense is an important aspect of early mathematical education and has been the focus of multiple studies targeting the kindergarten stage. We investigated the impact of reading mathematical stories on the number sense of kindergarten children. A small-scale intervention study was conducted with 46 kindergarten children aged 5–7 years. The study employed a non-equivalent quasi-experimental design involving comparison and intervention groups. The intervention involved eight mathematical stories presented in interactive reading environments during their class storytime. Therefore, both the books and the interactive reading style were considered core components of the intervention in this study. A pretest, posttest, and delayed test measured the children’s number sense, and the resulting data was analysed with ANCOVA. The results showed the intervention to have a promising effect on their number sense: the experimental group significantly outperformed the control group on both the posttest and delayed test. We consider it important that teachers be encouraged to make the maximum use of kindergarten storytelling sessions to further children’s early mathematical understanding. With acknowledgement of the limited sample size and its implications for the statistical generalisability of the findings, this study should be regarded as an exploratory investigation that can inform and encourage future large-scale research. In addition, the findings offer meaningful pedagogical implications that may support teachers and curriculum designers in early childhood education and provide valuable insights into the potential effects of reading mathematical stories interactively with children in kindergarten in authentic classroom contexts
Acknowledgement · Curriculum · Exploratory research · Number sense · Storytelling · Cognitive and developmental aspects of mathematical skills · Mathematics Education and Teaching Techniques · Reading and Literacy Development
Research Methods in Education
Starting at the Beginning
Early Identification and Interventions for Students With Mathematics Difficulties
How Important is Where you Start? Early Mathematics Knowledge and Later School Success
Causal Connections Between Mathematical Language and Mathematical Knowledge
Reading–Writing and Math Prerequisites as Predictors of Children’s Transition from Kindergarten to School
Mathematics Learning Opportunities in Preschool
Early numeracy and mathematics development
Increasing interest and achievement in mathematics through children's literature
Effects of mathematics learning through children's literature on math achievement and dispositional outcomes
Building number sense with Number Worlds
Effects on early numeracy of a program using number books and games
I. Introduction
The nonlinear relations of the approximate number system and mathematical language to early mathematics development
Early math matters
What’s Past Is Prologue
Ii. Exploring the Microstructure of Children's Central Conceptual Structures in the Domain of Number
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |