The function of gesture in learning to count: More than keeping track

Preschoolers count objects most accurately when they gesture as they count. This study tests two possible explanations for this effect. One is that ge sture helps children keep track of counted items. Another is that gesture h elps children coordinate saying the number words and tagging the items. Twe nty preschoolers counted chips under three types of conditions: with gestur e prohibited, with active gesture, and with a puppet gesturing as children counted aloud. The puppet conditions were intended to distinguish the benef its of keeping track with gesture from the benefits of active gesture. Chil dren counted more accurately when they or the puppet gestured than when ges ture was prohibited. However, children's errors differed when they and the puppet gestured. When children gestured themselves, they made errors keepin g track, but when the puppet gestured, they made errors coordinating number words and items. Thus, active gesture helps children both to keep track an d to coordinate tagging the items and saying the number words. In these way s, active gesture helps children implement their knowledge of one-to-one co rrespondence.