Singapore pupils’ knowledge of numbers at the beginning of first school year

Abstract

As part of the International Project on Mathematical Attainment (IPMA)1 the complete cohorts of Primary One pupils from three schools in Singapore were tested on their knowledge of numbers at the beginning of the school year. A test comprising of 7 items was used to measure pupils’ knowledge on counting numbers to twenty, basic addition and subtraction facts and ordinal numbers. Background information on pupils’ pre-school learning was also sought from the schools. In this paper, pupils’ performance will be reported and relation to their pre-school learning investigated.