Step To It: Parent Support of Preschoolers’ Math Engagement During a Measurement Game

• In Event: Looking Beyond Quantity: Using Surveys and Observations to Examine the Nature of Parents’ Mathematical Engagement

Abstract

Preschoolers’ math learning is supported by joint engagement in activities at home (Eason et al., 2022; Swarchuk et al., 2014). Parent guidance enhances skills and understanding when learning is scaffolded within the zone of proximal development (ZPD; Vygotsky, 1986). This study examined parent support of preschoolers’ math learning while playing measurement games. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics identified measurement as a core concept for building mathematical ideas (2010). Math-oriented professional development interventions for preschool teachers enhance childrens’ understanding of measurement over time as compared with controls (Brendefur et al., 2013). Little research has examined parents’ facilitation of preschoolers’ measurement knowledge and skills, so this observational study was exploratory.
As part of a larger study, 28 families (25 mothers) with preschoolers (M age 55 months; 17 males) played and audio-recorded various math and science games together over several weeks. Eight families, the measurement case study (MCS) group, read a story of a king who learns about measurement through trial and error (Myller, 1991) and played a Foot Fun game using differently sized foot patterns to measure and compare objects. In a final video-recorded observation at home, all 28 families played Step to It, a commercial game in which a ruler and foot patterns are used to measure object length and estimate distance (e.g., How many Mom footprints wide is the refrigerator? How many Charlie steps will it take to reach the door?). Recording transcriptions were coded by multiple researchers in an iterative process with disagreements resolved through discussion.
Table 1 depicts the frequencies of math engagement observed during Step to It. In addition to prompting basic math, some parents engaged in elaborate explanations of measurement units and processes (e.g., using a ruler versus a foot). These activities were challenging for four-year-olds, and while many enjoyed the game, others became frustrated or disengaged. Only a few parents employed inquiry-based guidance (e.g., asking why or how do you know?), replicating previous findings in which parents utilized more direct instruction to support math as compared with scientific reasoning (Authors, 2018).
As seen in Table 2, MCS families had high levels of math engagement across contexts. These children had more and deeper opportunities to practice math, though they did not exhibit greater understanding of measurement processes in the second game. Significantly, all MCS parents used bridging techniques, establishing connections across the story and games. However, this guidance varied from vague questions like Remember how we did it? to more specific reminders, such as ruler placement. Further analyses of the efficacy of parent guidance across games will be presented.
Parents scaffolded complex measurement concepts through encouragement and use of simpler math concepts within their child’s ZPD. They practiced counting, cardinality, spatial orientation, and size comparison, in addition to measurement and estimation. However, the quality of parent guidance varied widely, a promising area for intervention. More research with multiple engagement opportunities over time is needed to explore the development of complex math constructs such as measurement (Brendefur et al., 2013; Eason et al., 2022).

Authors

• Maureen Vandermaas-Peeler, Elon University
  Presenting Author

• Alanis Camacho-Narvaez

• Scottie Farrin

• Mandy Heffernan

• Miso Kim

• Sophia Templeton