Affiliation:
1. Department of Psychology, Learning Research and Development Center University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Pennsylvania USA
2. Department of Applied Psychology, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development New York University New York New York USA
3. Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology University of Maryland College Park Maryland USA
Abstract
AbstractEarly mathematics skills relate to later mathematics achievement and educational attainment, which in turn predict career choice, income, health and financial decision‐making. Critically, large differences exist among children in early mathematics performance, with parental mathematics engagement being a key predictor. However, most prior work has examined mothers' mathematics engagement with their preschool‐ and school‐aged children. In this Registered Report, we tested concurrent associations between mothers' and fathers' engagement in mathematics activities with their 2‐ to 3‐year‐old toddlers and children's mathematics performance. Mothers and fathers did not differ in their engagement in mathematics activities, and both parents' mathematics engagement related to toddlers' mathematics skills. Fathers' mathematics engagement was associated with toddlers' number and mathematics language skills, but not their spatial skills. Mothers' mathematics engagement was only associated with toddlers' mathematics language skills. Critically, associations may be domain‐specific, as parents' literacy engagement did not relate to measures of mathematics performance above their mathematics engagement. Mothers' and fathers' mathematics activities uniquely relate to toddlers' developing mathematics skills, and future work on the nuances of these associations is needed.
Funder
Division of Human Resource Development
James S. McDonnell Foundation
National Institute of General Medical Sciences
Subject
Developmental Neuroscience,Developmental and Educational Psychology