Parent-Child Broad Math Talk During Book Reading: Is Print Always Best?

• In Event: Parent-Child Interactions During Digital and Physical Playful Learning

Abstract

Young children’s tablet ownership has increased dramatically (Common Sense Media, 2017); yet, little is known about how such devices facilitate parent-child playful broad math exploration (e.g., numbers and space). In one study, parents used fewer spatial words when engaging their toddler in play with a traditional versus electronic shape sorter (Zosh et al., 2015). Another study suggested traditional shape block play promoted more parent spatial talk than did a shape tablet app (Verdine et al., 2019). A third study suggested that parents engaged in more number talk during tablet-based board game than a traditional version, and even more math talk when prompted to teach their child about numbers during tablet play (Zippert, Daubert, Scalise, Noreen & Ramani, 2019). The current study compared parent-child broad math talk during print book reading, eBook reading without narration, eBook reading with narration, and eBook reading with narration that embedded dialogic prompting. We hypothesized that parent-child broad math talk would be greater during print- than eBook reading with and without narration, but comparable to eBook reading with dialogic prompting.
Ninety-three preschooler-caregiver pairs were recruited from local childcare centers, including Head Start Centers and low- and middle-income daycares and preschools. Families read a Peg+Cat e-Book (The Big Dog Problem), which emphasized space (e.g., size, locations and directions) and numbers (e.g., object counting, set size labeling, numerals, and arithmetic). Families read either a print version of the story, an eBook version without narration (eBook), with narration (eBook+Narration) or with both narration and a dialogic questioner (eBook+Questioner). Families’ talk in each condition was transcribed and coded for math (number and spatial) content, summed, and divided by total parent-child utterances.
See Table 1 for descriptive statistics and sample sizes for each group. MANOVA results showed a main effect of condition F(4, 91) = 3.98, Wilks’  = 4.35, p < .01. Between-subjects tests indicated condition differences for children’s but not parents’ broad math talk (p < .034), parent-child spatial talk (p’s < .01), and parent-child number talk (p’s < .013). Post hoc Tukey tests revealed that children elicited the most broad math talk during print book reading. Parents and children elicited more spatial talk in the eBook+Questioner condition than the eBook with and without narration conditions, but comparable spatial talk to the print book reading. However, parents’ number talk was higher in the print and eBook condition than the eBook+Questioner condition. Children’s number talk was also higher in the print than the eBook+Questioner condition.
Broad math talk was quite prevalent across conditions, especially during eBook+Questioner and print book reading. That these two conditions elicited comparable math talk suggested the dialogic questioner (and narration for parents) provided similar benefits afforded by print books in a digital context, as hypothesized. Condition was important for math talk type. Since the book mostly covered spatial topics, dialogic eBooks prompts might have encouraged more spatial talk. The print book may have supported families in focusing more on numbers, as they typically do more than non-numeracy concepts during play at home (Zippert & Rittle-Johnson, 2020).

Authors

• Erica L. Zippert, Purdue University, West Lafayette
  Presenting Author

• Zachary Stuckelman, Vanderbilt University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Gabriella Noreen, Vanderbilt University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Gabrielle A. Strouse, University of South Dakota
  Non-Presenting Author

• Georgene L Troseth, Vanderbilt University
  Non-Presenting Author