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Less Is Not Always More: Rich and Meaningful Counting Books Lead to Greater Gains in Number Understanding than Sparse Counting Books

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Title: Less Is Not Always More: Rich and Meaningful Counting Books Lead to Greater Gains in Number Understanding than Sparse Counting Books
Language: English
Authors: Cristina Carrazza, Susan C. Levine (ORCID 0000-0002-8579-9290)
Source: Developmental Psychology. 2025 61(3):446-460.
Availability: American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 15
Publication Date: 2025
Sponsoring Agency: National Science Foundation (NSF), Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Institute of Education Sciences (ED)
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) (DHHS/NIH)
Contract Number: 1144082
1746045
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Numeracy, Numbers, Computation, Books, Number Concepts, Concept Formation, Knowledge Level, Program Effectiveness, Intervention, Mathematics Skills, Story Reading, Picture Books, Preschool Children, Parents, Reading Aloud to Others, Intelligence Tests, Cognitive Development, Young Children
Assessment and Survey Identifiers: Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence
DOI: 10.1037/dev0001826
ISSN: 0012-1649
1939-0599
Abstract: Children vary widely in their number knowledge by the time they enter kindergarten, and this variation is related to their future academic success. Although talk about number predicts children's early understanding of foundational number concepts, we know little about whether interventions can increase this talk nor about the types of number talk that are most beneficial to children's number understanding. The current project examines whether embedding number talk in goal-based stories leads to more robust number learning than providing the same numeric input outside of this context. Parent-child dyads (N = 71; child age = 3 years) were randomly assigned within their preintervention cardinal number understanding levels to one of three conditions: rich counting books (narrative and pictures involving a number goal), sparse counting books (text and pictures that provide opportunities to count and label the same cardinalities as in the rich condition but with no narrative), or nonnumerical control books that involve labeling colors of objects. Children's number knowledge was measured at pretest and at 2 and 4 weeks into the intervention. Findings showed that children randomized to rich counting book condition showed significantly greater cardinal number knowledge and counting skill by the final testing session compared to children in the sparse counting book condition and the color control book condition, which did not significantly differ from each other. Results have implications for the types of number talk that most effectively support children's number learning in the home environment and for the design of interventions.
Abstractor: As Provided
Notes: https://osf.io/572eq
IES Funded: Yes
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1502402
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
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  Data: Less Is Not Always More: Rich and Meaningful Counting Books Lead to Greater Gains in Number Understanding than Sparse Counting Books
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  Data: English
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Cristina+Carrazza%22">Cristina Carrazza</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Susan+C%2E+Levine%22">Susan C. Levine</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8579-9290">0000-0002-8579-9290</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Developmental+Psychology%22"><i>Developmental Psychology</i></searchLink>. 2025 61(3):446-460.
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  Data: American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org
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  Data: 15
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  Label: Publication Date
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  Data: 2025
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  Group: SrcSuprt
  Data: National Science Foundation (NSF), Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)<br />National Science Foundation (NSF)<br />Institute of Education Sciences (ED)<br />Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) (DHHS/NIH)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Numeracy%22">Numeracy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Numbers%22">Numbers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Computation%22">Computation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Books%22">Books</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Number+Concepts%22">Number Concepts</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Concept+Formation%22">Concept Formation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Knowledge+Level%22">Knowledge Level</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Program+Effectiveness%22">Program Effectiveness</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Intervention%22">Intervention</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mathematics+Skills%22">Mathematics Skills</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Story+Reading%22">Story Reading</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Picture+Books%22">Picture Books</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Preschool+Children%22">Preschool Children</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Parents%22">Parents</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Reading+Aloud+to+Others%22">Reading Aloud to Others</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Intelligence+Tests%22">Intelligence Tests</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cognitive+Development%22">Cognitive Development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Young+Children%22">Young Children</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SU" term="%22Wechsler+Preschool+and+Primary+Scale+of+Intelligence%22">Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence</searchLink>
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  Data: 10.1037/dev0001826
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  Data: 0012-1649<br />1939-0599
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
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  Data: Children vary widely in their number knowledge by the time they enter kindergarten, and this variation is related to their future academic success. Although talk about number predicts children's early understanding of foundational number concepts, we know little about whether interventions can increase this talk nor about the types of number talk that are most beneficial to children's number understanding. The current project examines whether embedding number talk in goal-based stories leads to more robust number learning than providing the same numeric input outside of this context. Parent-child dyads (N = 71; child age = 3 years) were randomly assigned within their preintervention cardinal number understanding levels to one of three conditions: rich counting books (narrative and pictures involving a number goal), sparse counting books (text and pictures that provide opportunities to count and label the same cardinalities as in the rich condition but with no narrative), or nonnumerical control books that involve labeling colors of objects. Children's number knowledge was measured at pretest and at 2 and 4 weeks into the intervention. Findings showed that children randomized to rich counting book condition showed significantly greater cardinal number knowledge and counting skill by the final testing session compared to children in the sparse counting book condition and the color control book condition, which did not significantly differ from each other. Results have implications for the types of number talk that most effectively support children's number learning in the home environment and for the design of interventions.
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  Data: As Provided
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  Data: https://osf.io/572eq
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  Data: 2026
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        Value: 10.1037/dev0001826
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 15
        StartPage: 446
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Numeracy
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Numbers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Computation
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      – SubjectFull: Intelligence Tests
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      – SubjectFull: Cognitive Development
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      – SubjectFull: Young Children
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      – SubjectFull: Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence
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      – TitleFull: Less Is Not Always More: Rich and Meaningful Counting Books Lead to Greater Gains in Number Understanding than Sparse Counting Books
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              Y: 2025
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