Parental Math Involvement and Children’s Math Skills: International Perspective

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Abstract

Apart from math learning environments in preschools, kindergartens and schools, also parental math-related involvement (e.g., home numeracy environment, involvement in math homework) has been shown to enhance children’s math-related skills. Despite the general agreement on the importance of parental involvement, studies suggest that the results may vary by the child age, cultural environment, the type of parental involvement, and children’s math-related outcomes in question. To address these issues, the symposium will bring researchers from three different countries to present new longitudinal evidence on the parental math-related involvement and its links to children’s math skills. The first paper (Chile) reports results of the study investigating the relation between parental math-related attitudes, expectations, home numeracy activities (e.g., informal, operational) and different aspects of children’s early numeracy skills across pre-kindergarten year (4–5 year-olds). The second paper (Lithuania) investigates the reciprocal effects between math-related parental involvement (beliefs, expectations, teaching activities) and children’s math skills and interest among children transitioning from kindergarten to Grade 1 (6–7 year-olds). The third paper (USA) reports the study on the longitudinal interrelations between parental math homework involvement, child math achievement, and the role of their interaction on children’s math skills (7–8 year-olds). The discussant (USA) will highlight the importance of distinguishing between various types of parental math-related involvement, their age-appropriateness, prevalence across countries, and their differential relation to children’s outcomes. Overall, the symposium will synthesize the evidence from the three studies and provide directions for future research and implications for parents and educators.

Sub Unit

• Education, Schooling

Chair

• Gintas Silinskas, University of Jyvaskyla

Discussant

• David James Purpura, Purdue University, West Lafayette

Individual Presentations

• Home Numeracy Environment and Chilean’s Early Numeracy Skills at the Beginning and End of Pre-Kindergarten - Presenting Author: Maria Ines Susperreguy, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile; M. Constanza Ayala, Millennium Nucleus for the Study of the Development of Early Math Skills, MEMAT; Maria Francisca Del Rio; Christian Peake, Universidad Diego Portales,

• Parental Involvement and Children’s Math Skills During Transition to Grade 1 - Presenting Author: Gintas Silinskas, University of Jyvaskyla; Saule Raiziene, Vilnius University

• The Role of Parents’ Math Homework Involvement in Children’s Math Achievement and Anxiety: A Cyclical Process - Presenting Author: Yilin Liu, Boston College; Michael Barger, University of Georgia; Dajung Oh, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Eva Pomerantz, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign