Math Support Research Articles

Equipping Student Academic Coaches to Effectively Engage First-Year Students in Corequisite Math Support Labs

Equipping Student Academic Coaches to Effectively Engage First-Year Students in Corequisite Math Support Labs

Use and Effectiveness of Academic Supports After Developmental Education Reform in California’s Community Colleges

AB705 is a landmark higher education policy that has changed approaches to developmental/remedial education in the California Community College system. We study one district that implemented reforms by placing most students in transfer-level math/English courses and encouraging enrollment in support courses based on multiple measures of academic preparation (e.g., grade point average [GPA]). We use regression discontinuity designs to examine the impact of these new placement recommendations, finding some benefits to English support course recommendations for low GPA students and increased math support course enrollment. We use matching methods to explore the relationship between support course enrollment and subsequent outcomes; finding enrollment in concurrent math and English support courses was associated with increased likelihood of completing transfer-level math and English.

Identifying parental math talk styles and relations to child talk and skills

Prior studies on parental math talk often emphasize utterance frequency, with few distinguishing between utterance types (e.g., questions, statements, and confirmations). This study identified parental math talk styles (i.e., combinations of utterance types) and examined associations with children’s math and language performance. Participants were 76 mostly middle-income, White parents and their four-year-old children. Dyads’ conversations while looking at pictures were transcribed and coded for math content and children completed math and language assessments. Cluster analyses identified three parental math talk styles: Math Discussers privileged math questions and statements over other utterances, Math Commentators privileged math statements over other utterances, and Math Elicitors privileged math questions over other utterances. Math Discussers tended to be more likely than Math Commentators to have children who spoke more about math. Parental math styles did not relate to children’s math or language skills. Findings suggest parental math talk styles are promising to understand early math support.

Parental early math support: The role of parental knowledge about early math development

Parents vary substantially in the frequency and complexity of the math support that they provide to their children, and this variability is often related to their children's math knowledge. We hypothesized that parents' knowledge about the development of two critical early math topics would help explain some of this variability in their early math support. U.S. parents of 3- and 4-year-olds (N = 196 mothers and 148 fathers, 94% identified as the child's primary caregiver and 77% as White; 79% had at least a bachelor's degree) reported on their knowledge about the development of early numeracy and repeating patterning skills, numeracy and repeating patterning beliefs related to their children, numeracy and repeating patterning support, and education, income, and employment status via a survey. Parents’ knowledge about early repeating patterning development was positively related to all the measured child-specific repeating patterning beliefs and both were predictive of the frequency and complexity of their reported repeating patterning support. Their knowledge about early numeracy development was also positively related to most of their child-specific numeracy beliefs, but while their child-specific numeracy beliefs uniquely predicted their reported numeracy support, their knowledge did not. Parents’ knowledge about early numeracy and repeating patterning development was not consistently related to their education, income, nor employment status, but their education and employment status uniquely predicted their numeracy and repeating patterning support. Implications of these findings for research, theory, and parent-based interventions are discussed.

Concurrent and Longitudinal Associations Between Parent Math Support in Early Childhood and Math Skills: A Meta-Analytic Study

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to summarize evidence about the relations between parent math support in children aged 3–5 years (from several countries in America, Asia, and Europe) and concurrent and longitudinal math outcomes. The (bio)ecological model of human development guided our hypotheses. The design and reporting of this meta-analysis used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). We screened 2,163 abstracts, from which 135 full-text studies were assessed for eligibility. Forty-five studies fulfilled our inclusion criteria and were retained (representing 244 effect sizes); 90 studies were discarded as they did not include preschool children or measures of both parent math support and children’s math skills. Meta-analysis using Correlated and Hierarchical Effect (CHE) models showed a significant positive association between parent math support and child math skills for both concurrent and longitudinal studies. On average, higher parent math support was associated with better math skills in children, albeit these being small effect sizes. We found non-significant or inconclusive moderator effects related to formal vs. informal parent math support, type of children’s math skills, participants’ characteristics (e.g., child age and child/parent gender), parent education, and study characteristics. There was a significant moderator effect of the specificity of parent math support, with global assessments showing higher correlations with math outcomes than specific assessments. The publication bias analysis showed small-study effects for longitudinal but not for concurrent studies. Conclusions are drawn regarding the importance of promoting parent math support and informing future intervention studies.

Integrating co-requisite math for STEM student success.

Gateway math courses can be a major hurdle for students to get over in order to continue on with their majors, especially STEM majors. Previously, students could have taken up to four semesters of remedial math before being able to place into the first gateway math course needed for their major. With Math Support, students no longer have to take those remedial courses; the remediation is built in to the course in addition to the regular level content. These co-requisite courses allow students to start into their major courses much sooner than in the past, therefore allowing them to stay on track in their major and finish successfully.
 Developmental math courses have been replaced with co-requisite and accelerated learning models. All students can now progress through gateway courses within their first year, regardless of test scores. Gateway courses are offered with additional support to aid students in learning and understanding and fill in any gaps. Fairmont State was one the first colleges in WV to offer these services at full-scale. Attendees will be given an overview of Math Support at Fairmont State and how we have adapted our course to meet the changing needs of students as a result of the COVID pandemic. More data will be reported.

Integrating co-requisite math for STEM student success.

Gateway math courses can be a major hurdle for students to get over in order to continue on with their majors, especially STEM majors. Previously, students could have taken up to four semesters of remedial math before being able to place into the first gateway math course needed for their major. With Math Support, students no longer have to take those remedial courses; the remediation is built in to the course in addition to the regular level content. These co-requisite courses allow students to start into their major courses much sooner than in the past, therefore allowing them to stay on track in their major and finish successfully. Attendees will be given an overview of Math Support at Fairmont State. Developmental math courses have been replaced with co-requisite and accelerated learning models. All students can now progress through gateway courses within their first year, regardless of test scores. Gateway courses are offered with additional support to aid students in learning and understanding and fill in any gaps. Fairmont State was one the first colleges in WV to offer these services at full-scale. Initial data reports show students who took a Math Support course completed the course successfully at the same rate as students in non-support courses. More data will be reported.

The effects of perceived parental math support on middle school students’ math engagement: the serial multiple mediation of math self-efficacy and math enjoyment

The present study explored the direct and indirect (serial multiple mediation of math self-efficacy and math enjoyment) effects of perceived parental math support on middle school students’ math engagement. A total of 374 middle school students ranging the age of 11 to 15 years completed a set of questionnaires assessing perceived parental math support, math self-efficacy, math enjoyment, and math engagement. In the analysis of structural model, a multiple-step multiple mediation analysis was employed. The findings indicated that perceived parental math support was directly and positively associated with math engagement. Additionally, math self-efficacy and math enjoyment sequentially mediated the relationship between parental math support and math engagement. The limitations and implications of the results are discussed and suggestions for future research are proposed.

Triangulating multi-method assessments of parental support for early math skills.

Past research has examined parental support for math during early childhood using parent-report surveys and observational measures of math talk. However, since most studies only present findings from one of these methods, the construct (parental support for early math) and the method are inextricably linked, and we know little about whether these methods provide similar or unique information about children's exposure to math concepts. This study directly addresses the mono-operation bias operating in past research by collecting and comparing multiple measures of support for number and spatial skills, including math talk during semi-structured observations of parent-child interactions, parent reports on a home math activities questionnaire, and time diaries. Findings from 128 parents of 4-year-old children reveal substantial within-measure variability across all three data sources in the frequency of number and spatial activities and the type and content of parent talk about number and spatial concepts. Convergence in parental math support measures was evident among parent reports from the questionnaire and time diaries, such that scale composites about monthly number activities were related to number activities on the previous work day, and monthly spatial activities were correlated with spatial activities the prior non-work days. However, few parent report measures from the survey or time diary were significantly correlated with observed quantity or type of math talk in the semi-structured observations. Future research implications of these findings are discussed.

An evaluation of the incremental impact of math intervention on early literacy performance

AbstractThis study examined spring literacy scores among at‐risk prekindergarten students exposed to supplemental support solely in literacy or a combination of literacy and math. Propensity scores were used to match students receiving combined support (n = 39) with an equivalent number of students receiving only literacy tutoring. Students were matched using fall math scores and fall literacy scores. After confirming baseline equivalence, we used a multilevel model to evaluate the association between support type and spring literacy scores, controlling for fall literacy scores, fall numeracy scores, and the total number of intervention sessions completed. In addition to a significant and positive association between fall and spring scores, students who received support in both literacy and math scored significantly better on the spring literacy assessment. More specifically, participating in both literacy and math support was associated with a 23.81 increase in spring literacy scores relative to participating in literacy support alone, explaining 5% of the student‐level variance.

How can a relevance intervention in math support students' career choices?

Career choice is an important challenge in adolescence. Relevance interventions may be an option for promoting career choices because students reflect on the usefulness of the learning content for their future careers. We investigated whether a relevance intervention focusing on the usefulness of math for students' lives and careers could promote several precursors of their career choices. Seventy-eight classrooms were randomly assigned to one of two intervention conditions or to a control condition (N = 1744). Multilevel regression analyses revealed that the intervention fostered students' perceptions of the importance of math and physics for their career aspirations. We found positive effects on investigative interest and negative effects on realistic and enterprising interests. No effects were found on students' career orientation or career aspirations in STEM. Findings point to the potential of relevance interventions for supporting students' career choices, although a comprehensive fostering of career choice may be difficult to achieve.

Integrating co-requisite math for STEM student success.

Gateway math courses can be a major hurdle for students to get over in order to continue on with their majors, especially STEM majors. Previously, students could have taken up to four semesters of remedial math before being able to place into the first gateway math course needed for their major. With Math Support, students no longer have to take those remedial courses; the remediation is built in to the course in addition to the regular level content. These co-requisite courses allow students to start into their major courses much sooner than in the past, therefore allowing them to stay on track in their major and finish successfully. Attendees will be given an overview of Math Support at Fairmont State. Developmental math courses have been replaced with co-requisite and accelerated learning models. All students can now progress through gateway courses within their first year, regardless of test scores. Gateway courses are offered with additional support to aid students in learning and understanding and fill in any gaps. Fairmont State was one the first colleges in WV to offer these services at full-scale. Initial data reports show students who took a Math Support course completed the course successfully at the same rate as students in non-support courses. More data will be reported.

What Parents Bring to the Table: Maternal Behaviors in a Grocery Game and First Graders’ Literacy and Math Skills in a Low-Income Sample

AbstractWe examined associations between maternal writing support, math support, and directiveness and children’s literacy and math outcomes. Participants were 208 African American, Dominican, Mexi...

Evaluation of a Math Intervention Program Implemented With Community Support

Evidence-based interventions exist for improving multiple fundamental math competencies, but delivering interventions with fidelity and within a data-driven, tiered framework is a practical challenge faced by most schools. The current study evaluated a math intervention program delivered with community-based resources via AmeriCorps. At the beginning of the school year, students in Grades 4–8 (n = 550) were randomly assigned to receive math support via the program or to a waitlist control group. Outcomes were measured with a broad-based assessment of math achievement in the winter. Results from intent-to-treat analyses showed a significant and positive effect (d = .17) for the program that increased slightly under optimal dosage conditions (d = .24). The observed results extend existing literature on math interventions in schools by illustrating the potential for partnerships between community-based organizations and schools to improve outcomes for at-risk students.

How Do Low-Income Chilean Parents Support Their Preschoolers’ Writing and Math Skills in a Grocery Game?

ABSTRACTThis study examined how parents supported children’s writing and math and whether parents’ support predicted children’s academic skills from the beginning of pre-kindergarten to the end of kindergarten. Two hundred ten Chilean parents from low-income households were observed playing a grocery game with their preschoolers (M = 53 months). The grocery game (a game where dyads make a grocery list together and shop at a pretend store) could be used to foster writing and mathematics. Coders noted how often parents engaged in writing support, provided math support, and displayed directiveness (i.e., taking over the child’s activity). Children’s literacy and math skills were assessed at the beginning of pre-kindergarten and the end of kindergarten. Research Findings. Parents engaged in little writing support but displayed moderate levels of math support and high levels of directiveness in the grocery game. Parents’ math support uniquely predicted gains in children’s math skills, while parents’ directiveness negatively predicted gains in children’s literacy skills. Practice or Policy. Results from this study have the potential to inform parent-focused interventions. Findings highlight the need to provide parents with specific strategies to support their children’s literacy and math development and guidance about embedding these strategies into family routines.

The home math environment: More than numeracy

The goal of the current study is to develop a more complete understanding of the early home math environment, encompassing both numeracy and non-numeracy aspects of that environment. Parents of preschoolers (n = 63) were surveyed about their support of three components of early mathematics knowledge (i.e., numeracy, spatial, and pattern) as well as parents’ math-related beliefs about themselves and their children. Children were administered a broad math knowledge assessment which included a numeracy subscale, and individual measures of spatial and patterning skills in the fall (concurrently). Broad math knowledge was measured again in the spring of the preschool year. Parents indicated providing some support of early math development through numeracy, spatial, and patterning activities, with a stronger emphasis on numeracy than pattern and space. Parents’ child-specific ability beliefs were related to their numeracy, pattern, and broad math support, while their parent-specific ability beliefs were related to their spatial support. Parent support was rarely linked to child skills, except that numeracy support related to concurrent numeracy knowledge. Findings suggest that although parents do support a broad range of early math skills at home, parents tend to prioritize supporting early numeracy. Parents’ beliefs, especially about their child’s academic abilities, may influence components of the early home math environment, but future research is needed to better understand the relations between parent’s academic beliefs and the home math environment they create.

Subskill mastery among elementary and middle school students at risk in mathematics

AbstractIn the present study, we evaluated the number of attempts required to master specific subskills for working with whole and rational numbers among students at risk for math difficulties. Participants included a subset of students in grades four through eight receiving supplemental math support. Mastery—defined as 85% correct on short tests—was assessed following instruction for each subskill. Using survival analysis, we evaluated the number of attempts required to reach a .50 and a .90 probability of mastery on each subskill. The number of required attempts varied across subskills, with many subskills requiring more than one attempt to demonstrate mastery. Further, some of the most difficult content was aligned with curricular standards below students’ grade level. Thus, among students identified for supplemental support, it may be worthwhile to remediate select subskills that fall outside of the grade‐level curriculum before providing additional instruction on grade‐level content. Implications for math subskill assessment and remediation are discussed along with limitations and directions for future research.

Grocery games: How ethnically diverse low-income mothers support children’s reading and mathematics

Parent-child interactions are an important source of variability in children’s learning. We asked: (1) to what extent do low-income and ethnically diverse mothers engage in maternal writing support, math support, and directiveness in a grocery shopping game; (2) do these maternal behaviors predict gains in children’s reading and mathematics from age 5 (T1) to first grade (T2), and (3) what role do ethnicity and children’s baseline skills (T1) play in these associations. Participants were 212 low-income African American, Dominican, Mexican, and Chinese mothers and their 5-year-old children. Maternal writing support predicted gains in children’s reading skills but math support did not predict gains in children’s mathematics. Maternal directiveness negatively predicted gains in both children’s reading and mathematics. Ethnicity and children’s baseline skills did not moderate these associations. Implications for family-focused interventions serving low-income and ethnically diverse populations are discussed.

A Math Intervention for Third Grade Latino English Language Learners at Risk for Math Disabilities

Word problems for English language learners (ELLs) at risk for math disabilities are challenging in terms of the constant need to develop precise math language and comprehension knowledge. As a result of this, ELLs may not only need math support but also reading and linguistic support. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a word problem–solving strategy called Estratégica Dinámica de Matemáticas (EDM). This strategy was designed to provide math support in the native language based on students' math comprehension levels. A changing criterion multiple baseline design was used to instruct six second-grade Latino ELLs at risk for math disability. As compared with the baseline phase, EDM increased word problem solving for all participants. All students' level of performance were maintained and generalized during follow-up sessions. This study has implications for a native language intervention that focuses on strategy training to facilitate word problem–solving performance.

Word Problem Strategy for Latino English Language Learners at Risk for Math Disabilities

English Language Learners (ELLs) at risk for math disabilities (MD) are challenged in solving word problems for numerous reasons such as (a) learning English as a second language, (b) limited experience using math vocabulary, and (c) lack of strategies to improve word-problem-solving skills. As a result of these difficulties, ELLs may not only need math support but also oral language and reading development assistance. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a math comprehension strategy procedure based on a dynamic assessment (DA) framework. The strategy provided scaffolding support based on the student’s reading and language comprehension levels. A multiple baseline was used to assess 6 third-grade Latino ELLs at risk for MD. As compared with baseline, the strategy increased problem-solving ability for all participants. All students’ level of performance was maintained during follow-up sessions. Results suggest that a focus on comprehension strategies may help facilitate math skills development for ELLs at risk for MD.