Mathematics has been always recognized as a systematic, sequential and scientific subject. At every stage, it builds over earlier skills and knowledge to take the students on to newer skills and knowledge. In doing so, it is vital to acknowledge the role of number skills as the bedrock for later development of higher order math skills in school children. This paper attempts a review of research in the area of number competencies in preschool as well as primary school aged children in the west and our own country. The limited work which has gone into addressing this vital problem highlights how much of the needed numeracy skills for young children is left to chance and incidental learning or teaching rather than as a structured focused curriculum. The problems and issues related thereof are highlighted with a conclusion or recommendation for more active empirical research in the area.
