Parental Support of Children’s Math Learning in the Early Home Environment: A Cross-Cultural Investigation Comparing Families in China and the United States

Abstract

Math proficiency is increasingly paramount in this era of scientific innovation and advancing technology, challenging educators and developmental psychologists to find efficient approaches to support children’s math learning. While an individual’s school experience is believed to influence their math achievement, substantial evidence suggests that children already vary significantly in their mathematical knowledge at the outset of schooling and that these early differences predict their long-term math achievement. Thus, understanding the environmental factors that benefit children’s math learning prior to formal schooling may offer promising insights into narrowing the early mathematics gap. Further, examining this topic from a cross-cultural perspective may uncover culturally specific mechanisms for mathematical development. Therefore, this thesis investigates the role of the early home environment and parent-child interaction in supporting children’s early math learning in two cultural contexts: China and the United States. Study 1 examines the variability of Chinese parents’ engagement in math-related home activities and language, as well as its relation to Chinese children’s numeracy skills. Study 2 aims to understand individual and cultural differences in parental math input, drawing on data from both cultural contexts. The study also explores parental beliefs as potential sources of individual differences within each culture. Study 3 delves into parental support in the spatial domain of math learning by investigating associations between parent-child interactive features during block play and children’s spatial ability in Chinese and American families.