The interplay between pointing gestures and executive functions in early numeracy development: a longitudinal study

Abstract The role of fingers in early numerical learning has been extensively investigated, primarily focusing on how children use their fingers to represent quantities while solving arithmetic problems. However, less attention has been paid to the use of pointing gestures (i.e., the strategy of using fingers to mark or point to elements within a set during counting) among preschoolers, evaluating its interplay with domain-general cognitive precursors and its influence on the development of foundational early numeracy abilities for formal education, such as cardinality knowledge. To address this issue, a sample of preschool children was assessed through a longitudinal design, with the aim of evaluating both the unique contribution and the interplay of pointing gestures and domain-general precursors (i.e., working memory and inhibition) in the development of cardinality knowledge. Results showed that children with weaker inhibition benefit more from pointing gestures concurrently, while in the long term, children with stronger working memory skills gain a greater advantage from using pointing gestures to support their cardinality knowledge development. These findings highlight the interplay between domain-general cognitive factors and pointing gestures in supporting early numeracy development. Theoretical and educational insights for effective prevention practices are also discussed.