TY  - JOUR
A1  - Lindner, Nadja
A1  - Moeller, Korbinian
A1  - Dresen, Verena
A1  - Pixner, Silvia
A1  - Lonnemann, Jan
T1  - Children's spatial language skills predict their verbal number skills
BT  - A longitudinal study
JF  - PLOS ONE
N2  - The process of number symbolization is assumed to be critically influenced by the acquisition of so-called verbal number skills (e.g., verbally reciting the number chain and naming Arabic numerals). For the acquisition of these verbal number skills, verbal and visuospatial skills are discussed as contributing factors. In this context, children’s verbal number skills have been found to be associated with their concurrent spatial language skills such as mastery of verbal descriptions of spatial position (e.g., in front of, behind). In a longitudinal study with three measurement times (T1, T2, T3) at an interval of about 6 months, we evaluated the predictive role of preschool children’s (mean age at T1: 3 years and 10 months) spatial language skills for the acquisition of verbal number skills. Children’s spatial language skills at T2 significantly predicted their verbal number skills at T3, when controlling for influences of important covariates such as vocabulary knowledge. In addition, further analyses replicated previous results indicating that children’s spatial language skills at T2 were associated with their verbal number skills at T2. Exploratory analyses further revealed that children’s verbal number skills at T1 predict their spatial language at T2. Results suggests that better spatial language skills at the age of 4 years facilitate the future acquisition of verbal number skills.
Y1  - 2022
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0277026
SN  - 1932-6203
VL  - 17
IS  - 10
PB  - PLOS
CY  - San Francisco
ER  -