ERIC Number: ED424983
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1998-Sep
A Study of Children's Mathematical Experiences in the Home.
This study assessed parental attitudes toward early mathematics and examined the ways in which families initiate and support the development of young children's early mathematical concepts. Six families with preschool-aged children (4 girls and 2 boys) participated in this case study involving observation of family interactions, interviews with parents regarding their child's activities, and parental diaries detailing significant things that they felt their child had learned and new activities that the child had undertaken between observations. Participation began when the child was less than 2 years old, and for all families, 1 parent was at home for at least part of the day. The major findings indicate that: (1) all parents were able to report on the mathematical tasks that their children had undertaken, but only half recognized those tasks as mathematical; (2) only half of the parents identified mathematical tasks as being important for their child's development; (3) for parents mentioning mathematics, number and counting were mentioned most often; (4) during observations, all children experienced some mathematical tasks, all adult-initiated; (5) five parents developed mathematical activities for their children; (6) five children initiated their own mathematical tasks; (7) the longest mathematical activities were those in which the adult and child were actively involved in their development; and (8) the greater the parents' awareness of the importance of mathematical development, the more time spent on mathematical activities and the more engaging the activities. (Contains 32 references.) (Author/KB)
Publication Type: Reports - Research; Speeches/Meeting Papers
Education Level: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Note: Paper presented at the Annual EECERA Conference (8th, Santiago de Compostela, Spain, September 2-5, 1998).