Closing the Gap: Myths and Truths behind Subitisation

Abstract

MANY MYTHS OCCUR REGARDING the inherent abilities young Indigenous students possess when they enter a Western school environment. One such myth in early numeracy is Indigenous students' innate ability to instantly recognise the number of objects in a small group without counting them; that is, their ability to subitise. Willis (2000) reports that many young Indigenous students possess this ability as they enter school. The results of our recent research with Prep- and Year 1-aged Indigenous students indicate that this is not necessarily the case. In this paper we share the results of our study and discuss the importance of this visual strategy for the development of early numeracy understanding by young Indigenous students. We also present culturally–appropriate activities that support this development and discuss the importance of not over-generalising findings when considering young Indigenous students' engagement in early numeracy learning.