These errors seem to be ones of execution rather than of misguided intent. Children demonstrate knowledge of the stable order principle by almost always saying the number words in a constant order. Usually this is the conventional order, but occasionally it is an idiosyncratic order such as "1, 3, 6." The important phenomenon is that even when children use an idiosyncratic order, they use the same idiosyncratic order on each count. Preschoolers demonstrate knowledge of the cardinal principle by saying the last number with special emphasis.