Family Learning Across Daily Routines and Implications for STEM Educational Activity Design

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 3:45 pm - Gold 4
  In Roundtable Session: Learning Where we Live: Reimagining STEM Through Community Practices

Abstract

Across educational and psychological research there is a need to understand the home math environment of culturally and linguistically diverse families (Melzi & McWayne, 2023). Rich descriptions of learning in everyday routines supports educators' cultural competence (Yoon, 2016). This study draws from a year-long qualitative study using ethnographic methods to show how the home microsystem of eight families shapes child math learning and development. This presentation focuses on identifying (1) the range of math concepts essential to early math that emerge from families’ repertoires and (2) activities or routines parents design to engage their child in mathematics.

Culture is framed as the family system and the daily practices (Velez-Agosto et al., 2017) and mathematical activities are framed using Bishop’s (1988) and Clements & Sarama’s (2021) frameworks of what constitutes mathematics. Analysis of 32 transcripts and field notes included bilingual transcription, deductive coding, and thematic pattern coding. Four family visits were designed to (1) learn about family histories and identities, (2) describe the typical routines family members engage in, (3) observe an activity that the family enjoys doing together, and (4) observe an activity in which the family sees math occurring. Parents were recruited from a Head Start site that primarily serves Military connected families in a Southwestern state. Families identified as African American/Black (4), Latine (3) and white (2), including two biracial families.

Vignettes showcase patterns of mathematical routines demonstrating how child identity and activity shape mathematical development in counting and spatial orientation. As shown in the following vignette: “Mila (5) is the oldest daughter of West African immigrants, and helps care for her younger siblings. Their engagement in daily routines is organized into roles while mom cooks and cleans for the family Mila supports by gathering diapers and organizing food into the fridge. Mila produces different numbers showcasing a mathematical ability beyond the usual expectations of preschoolers.” In this brief vignette we see how Mila's identity and culture support mathematical development even when the parents do not feel secure in their own epistemic knowledge.

Author

• Daniela Alvarez-Vargas, Colorado State University