A comprehensive study on the embodiment in understanding of number

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Recently, acquisition of basic count ability has become increasingly valued, but, in many cases, the process is not sufficiently clarified. This study was intended to explore the process of mastering informal mathematics from the viewpoints of embodied cognition, focusing on the use of fingers during calculation.(1) The performances would be enhanced when accompanying body movements were observed at least in some tasks and various body movements were observed depending on their age at these tasks.(2) Calculation ability relates to representation of number, but don't relate to counting activity for first grade. For second grade, any relationship was not found.(3) When they were elementary school students, the ratio of the students who were good at calculations and arithmetic in the group of the students who did not use fingers is higher than the ratio in the groups of the students who used fingers. Additionally, among the groups of the students who used fingers, the ratio of those who were good at calculations and arithmetic becomes lower as they used fingers longer.(4) 70 percent of parents answered that they wanted their children refrain from using fingers while calculating before they get second graders. The reasons were that they would prefer calculating on mind and they were supposed to learn multiplication in the second grade.Those findings were discussed from the viewpoints of cognitive development and mathematics education.