Numerical acuity enhancement in kindergarten: how much does material presentation form mean?

The current study aimed at exploring the impact of the modality in which numerical trainings proposed in kindergarten school. Participants were recruited from some Sardinian kindergarten schools and were then divided into three groups: a control group, which had to carry out the activities planned by the educational curriculum, and two experimental groups, which were proposed a psychoeducational mathematical enhancement training via either hard copies or multimedia software, respectively. Regardless of the format in which the training was proposed, results showed that the psychoeducational mathematical training lead to improved learning regardless of the format in which the training was proposed. Its positive effects in terms of performance improvement in both the experimental groups. Moreover, as evidenced by a follow-up assessment conducted six months after the end of the enhancement activities, the effect of the mathematical training was maintained over time. In conclusion, the implementation of specific psychoeducational programs aimed at improving numerical mathematical knowledge seems to be a crucial resource to promote learning in pre-schoolers.