The Associations Between Families’ Home Numeracy Environment, Families' Structural Background Characteristics, and Mathematical Precursor Skills

• In Event: Impact of Families in Promoting Children's Physical and Cognitive Development

Abstract

Family characteristics such as socioeconomic status (SES) and migration background (MiBa) predict children’s early mathematical skills. This study investigated the associations between SES and MiBa and children's mathematical precursor skills, mediated by different facets of the home numeracy environment (HNE) in a German sample (N = 500). In particular, the quality of parent-child interactions during a dice game situation and parents’ knowledge of mathematical board games played a central role as mediating factors. In families with higher SES and no MiBa, a greater quality of parent-child interactions and a positive association with mathematical board game knowledge were found, which in turn were positively associated with children´s mathematical precursor skills. Consequently, disadvantaged children and their families may need more support.

Authors

• Anna Mues, German Youth Institute

• Tina Schiele, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich

• Valerie-Danielle Berner, Katholische Universität Eichstätt-Ingolstadt

• Stefan Ufer, University of Munich

• Efsun Birtwistle, University of Nottingham

• Astrid Wirth, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich

• Frank Niklas, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich