Cognitive processes and development of literacy at an early age

Abstract

This paper aims to contribute to understanding the causal relationships between preschool experience and the development of early literacy from the perspective of mathematics and pedagogical practice. The subject of the research is the activity of five-year-olds in kindergartens that lead to activation and application of various logical and mathematical cognitive processes that are important determinants for the development of verbal reasoning, visual-spatial perception, visual memory, attention, analysis,  and synthesis and analysis capabilities and the ability to graphically symbolize (recording and interpreting symbols, notions, and messages). For the purpose of the research, a deliberate sample of 27 five-year-olds and a teacher with years of experience was selected. The method of empirical research is descriptive, and the research corpus consists of anecdotal notes, check lists, and a questionnaire. The obtained data shows the ways in which activities stimulate the activation of cognitive processes influencing the development of early literacy. The results point to the possibility of a new approach to developing early literacy.