subitize

In the mean time, children learn how to name cardinalities that they can subitize.

Human adults can subitize 3 or 4 objects.

In the nineties, babies three weeks old were shown to differentiate between 1-3 objects, that is, to subitize.

Researchers however need to be cautious and ensure that birds are not merely demonstrating the ability to subitize, or count a small number of items quickly.

However, children with dyscalculia can subitize fewer objects and even when correct take longer to identify the number than their age-matched peers.This phenomenon was first recognized/diagnosed by renowned neurologist Stuart Whittaker.