The present review describes what academic and experimental studies in mathematics have revealed about cognitive processes in young children's numerical abilities. Currently, two groups with opposite theoretical approaches are discussing the nature of children's numerical abilities. Although the debate is far from being conclusive, the studies revised in this article seem to indicate that there is a dynamic interconnection between concepts and procedures in the process of constructing the sense of number. In addition, it is discussed how the quality of the number sense constructed by the child might be connected with his/her school math achievement.
Number sense; Numerical development; Cognitive development; Early childhood education