The Role of Child Interests and Collaborative Parent–Child Interactions in Fostering Numeracy and Literacy Development in Canadian Homes

Children’s involvement in home literacy and numeracy activities has been linked to school achievement, but the subtleties in the home environment responsible for these gains have yet to be thoroughly investigated. The purpose of this study was to determine how children’s interests and collaborative parent–child interactions affect exposure to home literacy and numeracy activities. Parents of 170 four-to-five year old children completed a survey about their child’s home learning environment. They rated their children’s interests in 14 activities, and the extent of parent–child collaboration on a cooking and card-making task. Follow up interviews were also initiated with four mothers to provide validation of the survey data in numeracy. Factor analyses reduced the number of survey items. Parents whose children preferred exploratory, active or crafts activities reported frequent engagement in literacy and numeracy activities. Parents seeking a collaborative approach during activities reported increased exposure to home literacy and numeracy activities than families with less collaborative involvement. Interview data confirmed that parents of children with high numeracy scores were exposing their children to rich numeracy activities during play. The findings suggest that children’s interests and collaborative parent–child involvement impact literacy and numeracy exposure in the home.     

Investigating Bidirectional Links Between the Quality of Teacher–Child Relationships and Children’s Interest and Pre-Academic Skills in Literacy and Math

This study investigated bidirectional links between the quality of teacher–child relationships and children’s interest and pre-academic skills in literacy and math. Furthermore, differences in the patterns of bidirectionality between boys and girls were explored. Participants were 461 Finnish kindergarteners (6-year-olds) and their teachers (n = 48). Teachers reported their closeness and conflict with each child twice throughout the kindergarten year. Children rated their interest in literacy and math, and were tested on their pre-academic skills. Cross-lagged path models indicated that teacher-perceived conflict predicted lower interest and pre-academic skills in both literacy and math. Results were similar for boys and girls. Implications for reducing conflictual patterns of relationships, together with promoting other factors, are discussed.     

Chinese Parents’ Expectations and Child Preacademic Skills: The Indirect Role of Parenting and Social Competence

Research Findings: This study examined how parenting styles and child social-emotional functioning may help explain the indirect relations between Chinese parents’ expectations for their preschool-age children’s social-emotional development and their children’s preacademic skills. A total of 154 parents with preschool-age children were recruited from 7 preschools located in northeastern China. The results showed that when parents expected their child to master social-emotional skills at a younger age or when they placed more value on social-emotional skills, they were more likely to adopt authoritative parenting, their children had better social competence, and finally their children showed better preacademic skills. The findings not only provided support for the interconnections between Chinese young children’s social-emotional functioning and preacademic skills but also revealed parenting styles and child social competence as potential pathways through which parents’ social-emotional expectations relate to children’s preacademic skills. Practice or Policy: The findings can be used to facilitate parent education efforts to help contemporary Chinese parents reflect on and even adjust their developmental expectations for young children. Parental expectations can also be an important element to consider in prevention and intervention programs that are designed to improve young children’s social-emotional and preacademic skills.     

The Role of Parent,Provider, and Child Characteristics in Parent–Provider Relationships in Infant and Toddler Classrooms

Research Findings: This study examined how characteristics of parents, providers, and children contribute to the quality of parent–provider relationships in infant and toddler classrooms. Parents (n = 192) and providers (n = 95) from 14 child care centers in a large metropolitan area participated by completing questionnaires about the nature of their relationships and communication, as well as other aspects of the child care experience. Although the study did not examine causal relations between variables, characteristics of parent–provider relationships were correlated with parents’ anxiety about placing their children in care, with providers’ knowledge of child development, and with whether parents and providers had worked together in the past. Parents’ views of their relationships with providers were more positive when they had worked with them before and when they were less anxious about placing their children in care. Providers who had worked with parents before had less favorable views of their relationships when parents were more anxious about placing their children in care; however, this was not the case when providers and parents were in more recent relationships. Providers who had never worked with parents before viewed relationships more positively when they had more knowledge of child development. The opposite was true for providers who had worked with parents before. Providers with more knowledge of child development reported communicating more frequently with parents. Providers reported communicating more frequently with parents of children with easier temperaments. Practice or Policy: Implications for transition practices in early care and education settings, in-service training, and teacher education programs are discussed.     

Site-level predictors of children’s school and social competence in the Chicago Child–Parent Centers

We examined the influence of individual and site-level factors from the Chicago Child–Parent Centers (CPC) early educational program on four competence outcomes for 1539 minority youth in the Chicago Longitudinal Study. Individual-level factors included race, gender, risk status, kindergarten duration, and preschool and follow-on experience. Two models were developed to examine site-level factors. The program model included instructional approach, site location, and parent involvement. The school model included the percentage of families that were low-income and the percentage of families that were residentially stable. Outcomes included kindergarten word analysis, eighth grade reading achievement, high school completion, and juvenile delinquency. Results based on hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) analyses indicated that preschool participation was more important than any of the site-level factors. The most consistent site-level finding was that lower income levels within a school attendance area was linked with poorer school and social outcomes. Site-level parental involvement predicted both early and later school outcomes. Instructional approach was not a significant program factor. Site location and family stability were not typically predictive of child outcomes. Policy implications and limitations of the study are addressed.     

Whitewashing Nature: Sanitized Depictions of Biology in Children’s Books and Parent–Child Conversation

The biological world includes many negatively valenced activities, like predation, parasitism, and disease. Do children’s books cover these activities? And how do parents discuss them with their children? In a content analysis of children’s nature books (Study 1), we found that negatively valenced concepts were rarely depicted across genres and reading levels. When parents encountered negative information in books (Studies 2–3), they did not omit it but rather elaborated on it, adding their own comments and questions, and their children (ages 3–11) were more likely to remember the negative information but less likely to generalize that information beyond the animal in the book. These findings suggest that early input relevant to biological competition may hamper children’s developing understanding of ecology and evolution.     

Pre-service Mathematics Teachers’ Knowledge of History of Mathematics and Their Attitudes and Beliefs Towards Using History of Mathematics in Mathematics Education

This study examined pre-service mathematics teachers’ knowledge of history of mathematics and their attitudes and beliefs towards using history of mathematics in mathematics education based on year level in teacher education program and gender. The sample included 1,593 freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior pre-service middle school (grades 4–8) mathematics teachers from nine universities in Turkey. Data were collected through Knowledge of History of Mathematics Test and Attitudes and Beliefs towards the Use of History of Mathematics in Mathematics Education Questionnaire. Results indicate that pre-service teachers have moderate knowledge of history of mathematics and positive attitudes and beliefs towards using history of mathematics. Their knowledge scores increase as the year level in teacher education program advanced. Males’ knowledge scores are significantly higher than females’ scores in the first 2 years. This situation reverses in the last 2 years, but it is not statistically significant. Pre-service teachers have more positive attitudes and availing beliefs towards using history of mathematics as they progress in their teacher education program. Females have greater attitudes and beliefs mean scores than males in each of the years. The results indicate that the teacher education program may have enhanced the pre-service teachers’ knowledge of history of mathematics by related courses. However, the moderate knowledge scores indicate that there is a need for revision of these courses. The pre-service teachers’ positive attitudes and beliefs towards using history of mathematics stress the importance of teacher education program in order to prepare them for implementing this alternative strategy in the future.     

Children’s Home Numeracy Environment Predicts Growth of their Early Mathematical Skills in Kindergarten

This study investigated the longitudinal associations between children’s early mathematics and their home numeracy environment (HNE). Chilean children from families who varied widely in socioeconomic status were assessed at the beginning and end of prekindergarten in 2016 (N = 419, M_age = 4:7 [years:months]), and at the end of kindergarten in 2017 (N = 368, M_age = 5:10). Children whose parents provided frequent operational numeracy activities (e.g., learning simple sums) at prekindergarten showed better arithmetic performance and growth in nonsymbolic and symbolic number comparison at the end of kindergarten. Parents’ knowledge of number-related games predicted children’s arithmetic skills and growth in nonsymbolic number comparison. These findings underscore the persistent relations between the HNE and the development of children’s mathematical skills.     

Empowering the Parent–Child Relationship in Homeless and Other High-risk Parents and Families

High quality parent–child relations are essential to healthy development and learning in children. Homeless families experience many barriers to realizing the needed bonding and nurturance for having healthy relationships. This article explores the obstacles to the development of nurturing parent–child relations and offers strategies for addressing these issues.     

Effects of an Ancient Chinese Mathematics Enrichment Programme on Secondary School Students’ Achievement in Mathematics

Ancient Chinese mathematics has been the focus of many research studies and scholarly works from a historical perspective. However, no move has been made to investigate its role in the teaching and learning of mathematics. This pilot study examined the effects of an Ancient Chinese Mathematics Enrichment Programme (ACMEP) on the academic achievement of second year students from a secondary school in Singapore—a strand of a principal study which had the intent of investigating possible roles of ancient Chinese mathematics in the Singapore secondary school mathematics curriculum. Analysis of covariance was used to examine the difference in mean scores on a variety of formal assessments in mathematics between students who participated in the ACMEP and those who did not. In addition, scores on formal assessments of other relevant subjects were analyzed to further investigate ACMEP’s scope of influence.     

Cognitive Stimulation at Home and in Child Care and Children’s Preacademic Skills in Two-Parent Families

This paper used the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort (N = 1,258) to examine the influence of hilevels of cognitive stimulation from mothers, fathers, and childcare providers at 24 months and children’s pre-academic skills at 48 and 60 months in two parent families. Results from path analysis showed direct positive effects of fathers’ early cognitive stimulation on early reading and math skills at 48 and 60 months. There were also two moderated effects: The effects of high levels of maternal stimulation at 24 months on early math and reading skills at 48 months were largest for children also receiving high levels of cognitive stimulation from their childcare providers. Implications for including fathers in studies of the home cognitive stimulation and strengthening the parent-childcare connection are discussed.     

Effectiveness of the DISTAR Reading I Program in Developing First Graders’ Language Skills

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine if the DISTAR Reading I program was more effective than a basal reading program in increasing school-based language ability. Additionally, I examined the hypothesis that DISTAR develops language more effectively for children who enter school with lower initial language ability than for children with higher language ability, as measured by the Metropolitan Readiness Test. Subjects were 80 Black 1st-grade learners randomly selected from two urban elementary schools. I assessed initial language with the language subtest of the Metropolitan Readiness Test. The adjusted mean score of the DISTAR classes on the posttest of the Slosson Intelligence Test was approximately 9 points higher than the adjusted mean of the basal reader group. Contrary to the second hypothesis, the DISTAR program was equally as effective for students with average or high initial language ability as for students with low initial language ability. The results are discussed as support for the proposition that the use of DISTAR direct-instruction procedures is a successful means of developing school-based language.     

Mother–Child Referencing of Environmental Print and Its Relationship With Emergent Literacy Skills

Research Findings: Environmental print provides children with their earliest print experiences. This observational study investigated the frequency of mother–child environmental print referencing and its relationship with emergent literacy. A total of 35 mothers and their children (ages 3–4 years) were videotaped interacting in an environmental print–rich play setting. The frequency of environmental print referencing of letters and words was measured. Children were assessed on emergent literacy skills (letter name and sound knowledge, print concepts, phonological awareness, name and letter writing, environmental print reading). In all, 69% of mothers referenced environmental print. After child age, home literacy teaching, and maternal education were controlled for, greater maternal referencing of environmental print was positively related to print concepts and name and letter writing. Child environmental print referencing was positively related to name and letter writing as well as to maternal environmental print referencing. Mothers used a range of mediation strategies to support children's interactions with environmental print. Practice or Policy: Maternal referencing of environmental print may be a useful way to scaffold emergent literacy in young children.     

Parent Involvement as a Predictor of Teacher–Child Relationship Quality in Third Grade

Research Findings: Research on teacher–child relationships is important, as the quality of this relationship is linked to numerous child outcomes in the areas of academic and social functioning. In addition, parent involvement has been identified as a significant factor in the successful development of a child. This study attempted to join these two lines of research by assessing the extent to which teacher–child relationship quality varies as a function of parent involvement. We used a sample of 894 third-grade children, mothers, and teachers from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Study of Early Child Care. Regression analyses were conducted to examine the relation between teacher–child relationships and parent involvement while controlling for known determinants of teacher–child relationship quality (i.e., gender and income). All variables were significantly related to teacher–child relationship quality. Parent involvement was negatively related to conflict. Furthermore, more parent involvement predicted less teacher–child conflict, but only for children from low-income families. Practice or Policy: The results are discussed in terms of the importance of parent involvement to children's school adjustment, with specific importance for parents of low-income children.     

Parent–child co‐viewing of television and cognitive development of the Chinese child

This study examined the relationship between parent–child co‐viewing of television and the cognitive development of the child. Both survey and experiment methods were employed to determine the participants’ television viewing habits and their cognitive achievements after watching a pre‐recorded programme under different conditions. The participants were five‐year‐old pre‐schoolers from a childcare centre in Beijing, China. The findings show a positive relationship between parent–child co‐viewing of television and the cognitive performance of the child as far as a specific programme was concerned, but long‐term effects of parent–child co‐viewing on the general cognitive development of the child could not be established owing to the limitations of the study.

Cette étude a examiné le rapport entre la co‐vision de la télévision du parent et l’enfant et le développement cognitif de l’enfant. Des méthodes d’enquête et d’expérience ont été utilisées pour découvrir les habitudes des participants quand ils regardent la télévision et leurs accomplissements cognitifs après avoir regardé un programme pré‐enregistré dans des conditions différentes. Les participants étaient des élèves de cinq ans du cours préparatoire d’un centre d’assistance à l’enfance à Beijing, Chine. Les résultats montrent un rapport positif entre la co‐vision de la télévision duparent et l’enfant et la compétence cognitive de l’enfant en ce qui concerne un programme ­spécifique, mais les effets à long terme de la co‐vision de la télévision du parent et l’enfant sur le développement cognitif général de l’enfant n’ont pas été établi dû aux limitatios de l’étude.

Este estudio examinó la relación entre la co‐visión del padre y niño de la televisión y el desarrollo cognoscitivo del niño. Fueron empleados métodos de estudio y experimentales para descubrir los hábitos relacionados con mirar la televisión de los participantes y sus logros cognoscitivos después de mirar un programa previamente grabado bajo diversas condiciones. Los participantes eran pre‐escolares de cinco años de un centro de cuidado de niños en Beijing, China. Los resultados demuestran una relación positiva entre la co‐visión de la televisión por padre y niño y el funcionamiento cognoscitivo del niño por lo que concierne un programa específico, pero los efectos a largo plazo de la co‐visión del padre y niño en el desarrollo cognoscitivo general del niño no pudieron ser establecidos debido a las limitaciones del estudio.     

Examining Kindergarten Students’ Use of and Interest in Informational Text

This article describes a dual-case study that was conducted to examine the effects of The Tools Approach on kindergarten students’ use of and interest in informational text. Children in one teacher’s kindergarten classroom during two subsequent years participated in a writing intervention which included learning about text features, conducting group research, and conducting individual research. During both cases, data were collected during child, parent, and teacher interviews. The results of this study showed that children participating in The Tools Approach strategy increased their abilities to identify and use text features to gather and disseminate information. Children also demonstrated increased interest in reading and writing informational text as a result of their participation in the study.     

‘Whys’ and ‘Hows’ of Using Philosophy in Mathematics Education

The article elaborates and exemplifies a potential categorization of the reasons for using philosophy, in particular the philosophy of mathematics, in mathematics education and approaches to doing so—the so-called ‘whys’ and ‘hows’. More precisely, the ‘whys’ are divided into the two categories of ‘philosophy as a tool’ for teaching and learning mathematics, and ‘philosophy as a goal’, referring to a stance of considering it a purpose in itself to teach students certain aspects regarding the philosophy of mathematics. A division of the ‘hows’ into three different categories is offered: illumination approaches; modules approaches; and philosophy-based approaches. A major part of the article is spent on providing illustrative exemplifications of each of these approaches by referring to already implemented uses of philosophy of mathematics in mathematics education as well as by suggesting new ones.     

Do the Colors of Educational Number Tools Improve Children’s Mathematics and Numerosity?

This study examined how colored educational tools improve children’s numerosity (“number sense”) and/or mathematics. We tested children 6–10 years (n = 3,236) who had been exposed to colored numbers from the educational tools Numicon (Oxford University Press, 2018) or Numberjacks (Ellis, 2006), which map colors to magnitudes or Arabic numerals, respectively. In a free association task pairing numbers with colors, a subset of children spontaneously provided colors matching one of these schemas. These children, who had internalized Numicon (colored magnitude), showed significantly better numerosity but not mathematics compared to peers. There was no similar benefit from internalizing Numberjacks (colored numerals). These data support a model in which colored number tools provide benefits at different levels of numerical cognition, according to their different levels of cross-modal mappings.     

Promoting Students’ Interest and Motivation Towards Science Learning: the Role of Personal Needs and Motivation Orientations

This study aimed to design a teaching sequence for science education that enabled lower secondary school students to enhance their motivation towards science. Further, it looked to examine the way the designed teaching sequence affected students with different motivational profiles. Industry site visits, with embodied theory-based motivational features were included as part of the designed teaching sequence. The sequence was implemented in Finland and Greece with 54 participants, 27 from each country. Quantitative data was collected using the Evaluation of Science Inquiry Activities Questionnaire, based on the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory but did not map the expected outcomes. Interviews, however, showed that students with different motivational profiles found aspects within the module that met their psychological needs as explained by Self-Determination Theory. The results offer a perspective to adolescents’ psychological needs along with some insights into how students mediate the way they value an activity in the context of science education.     

Parents’ Metacognitive Knowledge: Influences on Parent–Child Interactions in a Science Museum Setting

Despite science learning in settings such as science museums being recognized as important and given increasing attention in science education circles, the investigation of parents’ and their children’s metacognition in such settings is still in its infancy. This is despite an individual’s metacognition being acknowledged as an important influence on their learning within and across contexts. This research investigated parents’ metacognitive procedural and conditional knowledge, a key element of their metacognition, related to (a) what they knew about how they and their children thought and learned, and (b) whether this metacognitive knowledge influenced their interactions with their children during their interaction with a moderately complex simulation in a science museum. Parents reported metacognitive procedural and conditional knowledge regarding their own and their children’s thinking and learning processes. Further, parents were aware that this metacognitive knowledge influenced their interactions with their children, seeing this as appropriate pedagogical action for them within the context of the particular exhibit and its task requirements at the science museum, and for the child involved. These findings have implications for exhibit and activity development within science museum settings.