Most children need years to master the basics of adding and multiplying single-digit numbers. Yet by the time they enter kindergarten, a new study finds, kids can solve addition and subtraction problems involving large numbers if they are prompted to consult their intuitive knowledge of approximate quantities rather than to compute precise solutions.
SUM KIDS. Approximate-arithmetic problems presented to 5- and 6-year-olds in a new study included portrayals of addition (top row) and subtraction (bottom row), shown as a researcher read descriptions of each image.
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