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Children's spontaneous focus on number before and after guided parent-child interactions in a children's museum

Emily J Braham1, Melissa E Libertus1, Koleen McCrink2

  • 1Department of Psychology and Learning Research and Development Center.

Developmental Psychology
|July 27, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Parents can boost young children's early math skills by engaging them with numerical concepts during play. This interaction enhances spontaneous focus on number, a key predictor of future mathematical achievement.

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Development
  • Early Childhood Education
  • Mathematics Education

Background:

  • Spontaneous focus on number is a key predictor of later math achievement.
  • Understanding how parents can foster this skill in young children is crucial for early math development.
  • Existing research offers limited insight into parental influence on spontaneous numerical attention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether parents can foster children's spontaneous focus on number.
  • To examine the impact of parental numerical prompts during play on children's attention to numbers.

Main Methods:

  • 54 preschool-aged children and their parents participated in a museum exhibit play session.
  • A numerical prompt condition was compared against a nonnumerical control condition.
  • Children's spontaneous focus on number was assessed before and after the play session.

Main Results:

  • Children whose parents used numerical prompts showed a greater increase in spontaneous focus on number.
  • Parental interaction with numerical content in an informal setting positively influenced children's numerical attention.
  • The control group did not exhibit the same level of increase in spontaneous focus on number.

Conclusions:

  • Parental engagement with numerical content during informal play can enhance children's spontaneous attention to numbers.
  • This suggests a practical strategy for parents to support early mathematical learning.
  • Fostering spontaneous focus on number is achievable through guided, numerical interactions in play-based settings.

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