Drawing from Piaget's theory of cognitive development, the sensorimotor stage (birth to approximately age 2) is a period where infants and toddlers learn through interacting with their environment (Garvis et al., 2018). Counting songs, with rich interactive and multisensory nature, align effectively with this stage, offering tactile, auditory, and visual stimuli simultaneously (Parlakian, 2010).

Counting songs can support children’s number sense and provide a multisensory experience. Björklund and Palmér (2022) argue that in the realm of symbolic representation, values can manifest as finger patterns, spoken concepts, or visual symbols, all representing the same numerical value, such as the number 'three'. Therefore, counting songs, with their rhythmic and repetitive nature, serve as a patterning activity to develop children’s number sense (Geist, 2009; Parlakian, 2010). As everyday interactions and experiences with educators foster the development of early language skills (Parlakian, 2018), counting songs during daily group time can similarly support children’s number sense development. The melodic patterns and accompanying gestures in counting songs can aid in embedding specific number sense concepts, such as one-to-one correspondence and recognising numbers (Knaus, 2013; Parlakian, 2010). 

Furthermore, Piaget (1977, as cited in Björklund, 2008) argued that knowledge evolves in a child's mind through interactions with their surroundings . It evident that early experiences play a pivotal role in shaping not only their present comprehension but also their future learning (Knaus, 2013). By integrating counting songs into instruction, educators can offer a more engaging and holistic approach to developing foundational number sense in children (ACECQA, 2022; Björklund & Palmér, 2022).

Engaging in this PI will significantly enhance my comprehension of cognitive and linguistic development in infants and toddlers. By adopting planning and observational methods for data collection, I am presented with a unique opportunity to critically assess the potential of music as a versatile tool in supporting children's number sense, considering the varied developmental paces and learning styles of individual children (Björklund & Palmér, 2022). Furthermore, this inquiry will offer insights into the relationship between musical interventions and number sense, potentially reshaping my pedagogical approach in fostering number sense in diverse early learning environments.