抄録
Representation of preschool children's number concepts was investigated in the present study by giving children forward and backward counting problems. In backward counting, children performed significantly better with a type of Below 5 problem compared to a type of Over 5 problem. Analyses of counting errors revealed an absence of random errors in Below 5 problems but such errors were observed with Over 5 problems, Children were able to stop correctly at point “5” in forward counting but failed to stop at points other than “5” in forward counting. These results suggested that preschool children may represent numbers up to and including 5 as a firm structure or privileged anchor for numbers below 10. Results were discussed in terms of a mental number line in a representational system of numbers.
