The Psychological Characteristics of the Formation of Elementary Mathematical Operations in Children
В. В. Давыдов
Abstract
Children’s general orientation to the world of mathematics is largely a function of the initial concepts and operations they master. This orientation, in turn, has an important influence on children’s further mathematical development. Identifying the concepts and skills with which the study of mathematics in school should begin is, therefore, of considerable importance in the improvement of mathematical instruction because these concepts and the operations connected with them form the foundation for the structure of the entire academic discipline. In our view, many difficulties in teaching mathematics in schools 1 arise from the fact that neither the content of elementary mathematical concepts nor the methods of introducing them in instruction have yet been subjected to careful psychological investigation.