A Review of Four Studies on Math Talk in Preschool Children's Play: Emerging Trends and Future Directions

• In Event: 44.085 - Poster Session 9
  In Poster Session: 44.085-8 - Early Education and Child Development SIG Poster Session

Abstract

Research indicates that math talk—informal teacher-child math conversations—is associated with math learning in preschool. Previous work has examined math talk, generally—across all math domains and during any type of classroom activity. The purpose of this paper is to present findings and implications of a series of four studies that identify specific features of naturalistic math talk during free play and show how they are related to preschool children’s math learning. The paper includes a review of theoretical foundations and previous research, findings of the four present investigations, and recommendations for future research, including additional studies on the linguistic features of effective math talk and a scale-up math talk intervention study within urban school districts.

Authors

• Jeffrey Trawick-Smith, Eastern Connecticut State University

• Sudha Swaminathan, Eastern Connecticut State University