Making Sense of Number Words and Arabic Digits: Does Order Count More?

The ability to choose the larger between two numbers reflects a mature understanding of the magnitude associated with numerical symbols. The present study explores how the knowledge of the number sequence and memory capacity (verbal and visuospatial) relate to number comparison skills while controlling for cardinal knowledge. Preschool children’s (N = 140, Mage-in-months = 58.9, range = 41–75) knowledge of the directional property of the counting list as well as the spatial mapping of digits on the visual line were assessed. The ability to order digits on the visual line mediated the relation between memory capacity and number comparison skills while controlling for cardinal knowledge. Beyond cardinality, the knowledge of the (spatial) order of numbers marks the understanding of the magnitude associated with numbers.