Early Conservation as a Predictor of Later Reading

Summary

One hundred twenty-one boys and girls were tested on a conservation of number task in kindergarten and were then administered a reading achievement test two and a half years later, towards the end of the second grade. The results indicated that early conservation was predictive of later reading performance. Children who conserved number in kindergarten were significantly more likely to read at or above grade level in the second grade then were those who did not. Similarly, the mean reading score of those who conserved number in kindergarten was significantly higher than that of those who did not. These findings were discussed in terms of the logical analysis necessary in reading English.