Family Child Care Learning Environments: Caregiver Knowledge and Practices Related to Early Literacy and Mathematics

Abstract

This paper presents findings from a stratified-random survey of family child care providers’ backgrounds, caregiving environments, practices, attitudes, and knowledge related to language, literacy, and mathematics development for preschool children. Descriptive results are consistent with prior studies suggesting that home-based providers are older, less educated, and care for a wider age-range of children than center-based providers. Provider education was unrelated to performance on the knowledge assessment and to endorsed learning goals and practices whereas years of experience demonstrated some relations with caregiving practices but was negatively related to pedagogical knowledge. Providers favorably endorse regular implementation of educationally-related activities and play with literacy- and math-related materials, but may lack the specific expertise and curricular support to best support the early development of key early language, literacy, and math skills.