The oral counting as a pre-requisite for the acquisition of the concept of number taught through procedure of matching to sample with pre-scholars. To both groups were taught the equivalence relations between number and quantity, whereas the oral counting was taught just to the Experimental Group (EG). In training were used printed stimuli (numbers, words and figures) and words dictated by the research. After that, both groups' subjects were assessed to different conditions of testing to evaluate the effects the oral counting. Lastly, all the subjects (CG and EG) were given the Generalization Test I and Generalization Test II (game of domino), made out of all the relations. The behavior of subjects submitted to the training of oral counting was superior in relation of the subject's behavior that no submitted to that procedure. The importance of oral counting in the acquisition of the concept of numbers related to the setting up of the relations number-quantity is discussed, being the oral counting suggested as a facilitator in the setting up of the equivalence relations of stimuli not directly trained (generalization).
Oral counting; Concept of number; Equivalence stimulus