Investigation of the relationship between number and counting skills and problem solving skills of 5-6 age children

This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between number and counting skills and problem solving skills of children attending pre-school education. In the research which using the relational screening model, data were collected from 6 schools in 4 preschools and 2 kindergartens in Bolu city center during the 2017-2018 academic year. In this context totally 216 children, 112 girls and 104 boys, aged between 5-6 years were reached. In the study, the data collection tools 'Personal Information Form', prepared by the researcher, 'Problem Solving Skills Scale' developed by Oğuz and Köksal Akyol (2015), and 'Early Number Test' adopted by Önkol (2012) were used. The data were collected face to face in a quiet environment with the children who were given permission from the family to participate in the research. SPSS 22 program was used in the analysis of the data. To determine whether the scores obtained from the scales show normal distribution or not, Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Shapiro-Wilk tests were conducted and it was found that the scores did not show a normal distribution. Therefore, non-parametric tests, Mann Whitney U, Kruskal Wallis H Tests and Spearman's Rho correlation coefficient were used in the analysis of sub-problems. According to the results obtained from the research, a positive and significant relationship was found between number and counting skills and problem solving skill. In addition, while examining the effect of demographic characteristics of children, included in the sub-problems of the research, on early number and counting skills and problem solving skills, it was determined that children ages, parents' education levels, family income level, mother working status, the type of school they attend variables had a significant difference on early number and problem solving skills. On the other hand the number of siblings and the duration of school attendance do not have a significant difference except for the general number knowledge and estimation sub-dimensions in early number skills and problem solving skills. In contrast to the other variables, the gender was not an effective variable in early number skills and problem solving skills. Keywords: Preschool, early number skills, number and counting skills, problem solving skills