Does cyberspace increase young children's numerical performance? A brief overview from the perspective of cognitive neuroscience

Abstract

The neural link between numbers and praxis is not only concerned with conditions for the processing of numbers, but also with the process of acquiring mathematical competences. From the perspective of cognitive neuroscience, finger training thus becomes an important element of the process of teaching young children maths. Cyberspace may become an excellent space for such training. Most often, young children have access to it through touchscreen tools (e.g. tablets or smartphones) – in other words, tools that make it possible to take part in various finger games via mobile apps. To shed some light on this issue, we investigated mobile apps available for children and directed at finding examples of mobile apps that can increase children's numerical performance not through performing mathematical operations, but through finger training; in other words, apps that can be directed at young children (who do not perform mathematical operations yet). Sharing the example of this type of mobile apps can be useful for both parents and teachers of young children.