Traditional Intelligence, Piagetian Tasks, and Initial Arithmetic in Kindergarten and Primary School Grade One

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Abstract
Kindergarten and first-grade children (N = 357) completed Piagetian tasks (seriation, conservation, and multiple-classification), initial arithmetic tasks (number-line comprehension and number-language tasks), and intelligence subtests from the Cattell form 1 and the P.MA. 5 to 7. It was shown that of the Piagetian tasks the combination of conservation and seriation was clearly superior to the intelligence subtests from either the Cattell form 1 or the P.M.A. 5 to 7 in predicting number-language. Seriation and the combination of these intelligence subtests were equally good predictors for number-line comprehension. Data suggested that of the Piagetian tasks seriation might especially serve as a valuable diagnostic instrument for some aspects of initial arithmetic in addition to the traditional intelligence tests.