Translation and Validation of the Turkish Version of the Teacher Rating Scale-Early Numeracy (TRS-EN)

The early childhood period is a critical stage in which the foundations of cognitive, social, and emotional development are established. Early numeracy skills acquired during this period are considered significant predictors of later academic success. Assessing children’s early numerical competencies is essential for both educators and researchers. However, the lack of reliable and valid teacher-report assessment tools makes the evaluation process challenging. The Teacher Rating Scale - Early Numeracy (TRS-EN) is a measurement tool based on teacher reports designed to evaluate children’s early numeracy skills. This study aims to translate and adapt the TRS-EN, originally developed in Finland and based on the English source version, into Turkish, and to provide evidence of its structural validity and reliability among Turkish preschoolers. The sample consisted of 331 children (48- to 72-month-olds). The results indicated that the structural validity of the TRS-EN was supported by a three-factor model: counting skills, numerical relational skills, and basic arithmetic skills. In addition, internal consistency for each factor was above α = 0.70 and the three-factor model was invariant for younger (48-60-month-old) and older (61-72-month-old) preschoolers. For test-retest reliability, there was a strong (r >.70, p <.001) correlation between TRS-EN scores over a one-month interval. The findings demonstrate that the TRS-EN is suitable for evaluating early numeracy skills among 48- to 72-month-old preschoolers and could therefore be recommended as a reliable tool to assess such skills.