Early Conservation as a Predictor of Arithmetic Achievement.

One hundred twenty-four boys and girls were tested on a conservation of number task in kindergarten and were administered an arithmetic achievement test one and a half years later, towards the end of the first grade. The results indicated that early conservation was predictive of later arithmetic performance. Children who conserved number in kindergarten were significantly more likely to perform at or above grade level in arithmetic a year and a half later than were those who did not. Similarly, the mean first grade arithmetic achievement test score of those who conserved number in kindergarten was significantly higher than that of those who did not. These findings were interpreted as supportive of Piaget's assertion that conservation is basic to the understanding of number concepts.