Culturally Responsive Play: Co-Design of Early Math Games with Latine Families

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

Abstract

Educational approaches often fail to reflect the cultural, linguistic, and relational worlds in which many minoritized families live and learn.1,2 In many Latine households, children’s development is nurtured through rich family-centered practices, such as cooking, budgeting, and crafting, that are culturally rooted and naturally embed foundational math concepts.3,4 Despite their richness, these practices are often overlooked in early math efforts. One common strategy – adapting linear board and card games for the home – revealed implementation challenges and limited impact in research with predominantly Latine families.5 Scholars have recently emphasized the need for more play-based experiences that align with families’ experiences.5,6
This study responds by partnering with Latine families in a co-design process to create early math activities for the home that are both play-based and grounded in their experiences. Guided by the theoretical frameworks of Funds of Knowledge2 and Guided Play,7 we explore: (1) families’ existing math and play practices, (2) how these practices are integrated into culturally responsive play tools, and (3) what families valued about the final games.
In collaboration with a grassroots community partner, we engaged with 11 families–including 18 caregivers, 12 children ages 4-6 years, and 17 siblings– as co-designers. Four sessions were conducted in Spanish and included storytelling to surface existing practices, arts and crafts for prototyping games, and rounds of playtesting with feedback. After each session, transcripts, notes, and prototypes were reviewed to guide the ongoing co-design of the home kits with playful math activities. About a month after their distribution, we conducted follow-up interviews with 11 caregivers. Transcripts were analyzed using an iterative and inductive approach involving immersion, open descriptive coding, and thematic synthesis of families’ shared experiences.8,9
Findings showed that families supported math learning through everyday routines and culturally rooted play. Caregivers described using daily activities like shopping, cooking, walking, and time management to support math concepts such as counting, comparing, and estimating. Families also highlighted traditional games, pretend play, crafts, and physical activities as joyful ways to engage children in math. These insights and family-created prototypes informed four final activities, La Tiendita de la Esquina (The Corner Store), Manos de Arte (Artful Hands), La Lotería de Mate (Math Lotería), and Tiro al Blanco (Hit the Target), which reflected lived experiences and cultural traditions while making key math concepts more visible (see Table 1). Interview analysis revealed five key themes: (1) caregivers viewed the playful activities as relevant and useful for learning, (2) they sparked high engagement and joy, (3) the colorful materials encouraged participation, (4) play often included siblings and multiple caregivers, and (5) the activities felt culturally and personally meaningful. Table 2 includes illustrative quotes.
This study illustrates the many ways Latine families engage in everyday practices that involve math. When playful tools build on these routines, they can foster greater engagement, joy, and relevance at home. The findings also highlight the importance of involving families in the design process to create learning tools that are meaningful and culturally grounded.

Authors

• Vanessa Bermudez, Layola Marymount University

• Britney Meza-Camacho, University of California - Irvine

• Haidi M. Peñaloza Torres, University of California - Irvine

• Andres Sebastian Bustamante, University of California - Irvine