Relations between grade 1 students' number sense and nonverbal and verbal reasoning

This study investigated relations between number sense and nonverbal and verbal reasoning in 75 Norwegian grade 1 students. Number sense was measured by a digital assessment utilising eight components of the foundational number sense (FoNS) framework in combination with reasoning measures. Analysis revealed that number sense related moderately to verbal reasoning and moderately to strongly to nonverbal reasoning. However, number sense components correlated differently to the two reasoning types. Our results support, extend, and contradict previous research, perhaps due to how number sense was operationalised and measured. We found arithmetic to be the component with the strongest correlation to both nonverbal and verbal reasoning, while estimation did not correlate significantly to any reasoning types. We discuss individual variations and the use of visual and verbal task demands, particularly number lines, to support or estimate.