Abstract

• The main aim of the present study is to assess the relationship between early numeracy skills and executive functions of Grade 1 students. In this study, descriptive survey method and quantitative research design were used. This study was conducted with a sample of 310 (150 males and 160 females) Grade 1 students from Selected Basic Education High Schools in Sagaing Township. The required sample was selected by using random sampling technique. Scale for Early Numeracy Skills of Grade 1 (ENS-G1) students and Behaviour Rating Inventory of Executive Functions (BRIEF) were used as the instruments. As a result of descriptive statistics, the early numeracy skills and executive functions of Grade 1 students were somewhat satisfactory. The result of independent samples t-test on the whole scale of the early numeracy skills and executive functions of Grade 1 students by gender revealed that there were no gender differences. ANOVA results showed there were no significant differences in executive functions for all age groups of Grade 1 students, but there were significant differences in early numeracy skills according to age at 0.05 level. Moreover, the results of independent samples t-test revealed that there were no significant differences for early numeracy skills of Grade 1 students by selected schools, but there were significant differences for executive functions of Grade 1 students by selected schools at 0.01 level. And then, there were significant differences by father’s education and mother’s education in both early numeracy skills and executive functions of Grade 1 students and it also revealed that the mean scores of graduated father’s and graduated mother’s children were significantly higher than non-graduated father’s and non-graduated mother’s children in executive functions. Finally, the results of Pearson correlation also showed that there was a significant positive relationship between early numeracy skills and executive functions of Grade 1 students.