Final answer:
Core number knowledge is a basic, evolutionarily ancient skill that improves over time with experiences. It consists of understanding quantities and can show stable differences among individuals. While it serves as a foundation, it is not solely sufficient for solving advanced mathematical problems, as higher levels of math require additional learning and conceptual understanding.
Step-by-step explanation:
Core number knowledge is a fundamental basis that contributes to the development of mathematical proficiency. The statements regarding core number knowledge can be addressed as follows:
- B. It improves over time mostly because of what we experience around us: Core number knowledge does indeed improve with time and experiences. As we encounter different situations that involve numbers, our ability to understand and use numbers becomes more sophisticated, which is a result of both learned and evolutionary processes.
- C. It is evolutionarily ancient: Numerical cognition has roots in our evolutionary history. The ability to approximate and understand quantities is shared across many species and is considered an ancient evolutionary trait.
- D. There are stable individual differences across development: While some aspects of core number knowledge are universal, individual differences in numerical proficiency can be observed, and these can remain stable across an individual's development.
However, statement A. People can use it to solve advanced math problems might be considered less directly true, as core number knowledge is a foundational skill, but advanced math generally requires additional, more complex mathematical rules and understandings beyond core number concepts.
To utilize core number knowledge effectively, creating customized simple problems and practicing approximation skills can both be valuable strategies. These methods can help ensure that the math rules being applied replicate the right answer and in cultivating a deeper understanding of mathematical logic, thereby avoiding the pitfalls of rote memorization.
Understanding that math is an expression of truth and logic, and not merely a collection of memorized rules, helps in building a useful foundation in mathematics. Moreover, incorporating evolutionary pressures and the concept of energy demands on deliberate thinking provides a holistic view of how our numerical capacities have developed and how they function in everyday life.