Examining Mother-Daughter Dyads Jointly Solving Addition Problems: A Person-Centered Approach

• In Event: Parental Support of Children’s Early Mathematics Learning

Abstract

Observational studies of parent-child interactions have documented aspects of parent behavior that support children’s math learning. These studies have shown that effective parental behaviors focus on more advanced levels of math skills for the child’s age through using questioning and providing math facts (Ramani et al., 2015; Vandermaas-Peeler et al., 2012). Existing research has typically focused on what the parent brings to the learning context, while children’s skills and behaviors are statistically controlled for. An alternative way to examine parent-child dyadic interactions is through a person-centered approach in which subgroups of parent-child dyads within a population are identified based upon multiple behaviors of mothers and children over a learning interaction (Lanza & Cooper, 2016).

In the present study, we draw upon theoretical frameworks of parent-child interactions (Gauvain, 2013; Vygotsky, 1978) to utilize a person-centered approach in examining mother and daughter behaviors during a math activity. Specifically, we investigated mother-daughter dyad behaviors when jointly solving addition problems during a card game as predictors of children’s independent arithmetic accuracy and strategy use at the end of first grade. Videotaped observations of the dyads playing an addition card game (N = 91) were coded by trained observers for multiple measures of children’s independence, skill, executive function, and strategy use as well as mothers’ giving answers, simplifying problems, suggesting counting strategies, and providing math fact hints. Latent profile analysis was used to identify subgroups of mother-daughter dyadic interactions using these measures.

Three profiles of mother-daughter dyad behaviors were identified: (1) the Independent profile (52% of sample) included children who often solved independently with accuracy and received little maternal support; (2) the Supported profile (35%) consisted of children who received greater maternal support, solving on their own with less frequency and accuracy; and (3) the Dependent profile (13%) received the most support from mothers, with children rarely solving on their own (full results can be found in Table 1). There were few demographic or child ability differences between the profiles, with the exception that children in the Independent profile had higher spatial skills in comparison to the Dependent profile. Shown in Table 2, OLS regression models controlling for mother demographics and child spatial and verbal skills revealed that children in the Independent profile had higher arithmetic skills at the end of first grade in comparison to children in the Dependent profile (.70 SDs). When solving addition problems on their own, children in the Independent and Supported profiles used advanced decomposition strategies more frequently in comparison to the Dependent profile children (.74 SDs and .71 SDs respectively). Given the dearth of research on the ways in which parents can support their children’s addition skills during the critical first years of elementary school, the present study provides possible approaches for parents to help their children develop advanced addition strategies and improve their addition accuracy.

Authors

• Caitlin S Lombardi, University of Connecticut
  Presenting Author

• Martha B. Bronson, Boston College (retired)
  Non-Presenting Author

• Lindsey Caola, Boston College
  Non-Presenting Author

• Elizabeth Pezaris, Boston College
  Non-Presenting Author

• Beth M Casey, Boston College
  Non-Presenting Author