Numerosities in the picture: Picture book features and their contribution to the selection and effectiveness of picture book reading activities

The present PhD project focuses on the stimulation of young children’s (i.e., 3-6-year-olds) mathematical development via picture books. Special attention is paid to the features (textual and visual) of picture books that enhance young children’s mathematical reflections and interactions. The PhD project involves a series of empirical studies focused on preschoolers and their teachers. In a first series of studies, we systematically analyzed the features of picture books and how important teachers rate these features for picture book reading focused on stimulating children’s mathematical development. Taking into account the results of this first series of studies, we will evaluate the effectiveness of a powerful learning environment that is designed for enhancing young children’s mathematical competencies using picture books. The PhD project will contribute to the theoretical and scientific insights into the association between the characteristics and the use of picture books and young children’s mathematical development, and provide building blocks to optimize current instructional practices in this domain.