Abstract

Three experiments were conducted with 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds to examine the development of Korean children`s understanding of correspondence between two number systems--Hangul system(hana,dul,set..) and Hanza system(il,yee,sam...). In Experiment 1, number words in both systems were presented. Children were asked to provide another name (i.e., corresponding number names in other system) for each word. Only 4-and 5-year-olds could provide number names in other number system correctly. In Experiment 2, children performed three tasks--circle task, digit task, and token task. In the circle task, one to ten circles were presented. Children were asked to count them twice in different ways. In the digit task, numerals from 1 to 10 were presented. Children were asked to read them twice in different ways. In the last task, an experimenter asked children to give her a certain number of tokens as instructed. Instruction was given either in Hangul system or in Hanza system. Most children used Hangul system to count circles and Hanza system to read numerals on the first trials. However, on the second trials, only 4- and 5-year-olds could use Hanza system to count circles and Hangul system to read numerals. Similarly, all children gave correct number of tokens better when the instruction was given in Hangul system than when instruction was given in Hanza system. In Experiment 3, children watched a dolt counting circles and reading numerals using Hangul system and another doll using Hanza system. They were asked to determine (1) whether each doll was right (2) which doll did better. Regardless of age, all children answered that the dolt who counted circles and read numerals in either system was right. However, when two dolls were compared, only 4-and 5-years-olds answered that both dolls did right. The results from these three experiments suggest that 4-and 5-year-olds, not 3-year-olds, understand correspondence between two number systems. The data of questionnaire from children`s mothers showed that this tendency was in part due to mother`s practice of teaching two number systems in quite different situations: Hangul system in counting things and Hanza system in reading numerals.