Social Media Post #119: Cognitive Basis of Number

For educators and supporters of early childhood development: The foundation of numerical understanding is not rote counting. It is built on foundational cognitive skills — what we call cognitive tools — such as matching, sorting, and comparing.

But these tools do not simply emerge from spontaneous experiences with real-world objects. They develop because of intentional human mediation through the Concept Teaching Model (CTM). At the Basic Concepts Foundation, we strategically insert this mediation into the learning process so that children don’t just play with objects, but come to understand the underlying principles that make number meaningful.

By supporting this approach, you are investing in deeper, more effective learning — where children build genuine comprehension of what numbers represent, not just the ability to recite them.