1' to 'one' and back again: A longitudinal investigation of the foundations of efficient number transcoding in early primary school

When learning as an undergraduate about general concepts and theories in educational and developmental psychology, I noticed a discrepancy between research on literacy and numeracy, with literacy far outweighing numeracy in both its perceived importance and research attention. This contradicted with my experiences working extensively (both informally as a childminder and formally through research) with children: many children show far greater difficulties learning numeracy than literacy (with more creative methods required to engage children with maths!). With mathematical qualifications a basic requirement for jobs and access to further education often dependent on competent mathematical abilities, our understanding of the cognitive correlates underlying maths is critical to inform every level of maths education, from home support to curriculum. My aim is to contribute to our understanding of what might underlie the early development of numeracy as a research scientist. PhD research will be the first step towards achieving my goals.