Chapter 4 - Math Talk Between Children and Mothers and Its Connection to Math-Related Practices in the Home Setting

Abstract

Early math skills are crucial for children's later achievement in school. These skills can be fostered by parents in informal contexts in the home in several ways. This chapter looks at how mothers and children talk about math during mealtimes, a context that has proved to promote opportunities for children to learn new words and information, and the links between math talk and math-related practices. Math talk (ie, talk about numbers, number operations, units of measure, or counting) occurring among mother–child dyads is described and analyzed as it occurs in natural exchanges in the home setting. The results show large variability in the frequency with which mothers and children engage in math talk at home. Math talk was also related to the math practices that mothers reported engaging in with their children 1 year later. The implications of these findings for families, teachers, and researchers are also discussed.