Differences in children’s mathematics knowledge are evident at kindergarten entry, favoring children who
have greater access to economic resources. Fostering preschoolers’ mathematics learning at home and in
classroom settings, through games and other developmentally appropriate activities, is of great interest
to educators, early childhood leaders, and policymakers. This cluster randomized trial examined the ef-
fects of a naturalistic, game-based mathematics intervention implemented in Head Start classrooms and
examined whether including a family math component added value. A total of 573 children (64% His-
panic; 60% multilingual) were included from 66 classrooms which were randomly assigned to Classroom
Math (CM), Classroom Math + Family Math (CM+FM), or business-as-usual (BAU). Results indicated that
the family math component did add value to the classroom-based intervention as CM+FM resulted in
a significant positive impact on children’s mathematics knowledge relative to BAU, but CM alone did
not. For preschoolers age 50+ months, both interventions had significant effects on children’s mathemat-
ics knowledge relative to BAU, but CM+FM had a stronger effect (d = .36). The number of math games
played was significantly associated with higher mathematics scores and the number of family math mini-
books returned had a significant impact on children’s spring scores, over and above the number of games
played. The CM+FM intervention also had a significant effect on teachers’ instructional practice (d =.79).
Adding a family math component to a game-based classroom intervention resulted in positive impacts for
preschoolers and seems to be an effective, ecologically valid intervention that fosters early mathematical
competencies.
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Racing dragons and remembering aliens: Benefits of playing number and working memory games on kindergartners' numerical knowledge
Sources that contribute to variation in mathematical achievement include both numerical knowledge and general underlying cognitive processing abilities. The current study tested the benefits of tablet‐based training games that targeted each of these areas for improving the mathematical knowledge of kindergarten‐age children. We hypothesized that playing a number‐based game targeting numerical magnitude knowledge would improve children's broader numerical skills. We also hypothesized that the benefits of playing a working memory (WM) game would transfer to children's numerical knowledge given its important underlying role in mathematics achievement. Kindergarteners from diverse backgrounds (
- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10121721
- Publisher / Repository:
- Wiley-Blackwell
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Developmental Science
- Volume:
- 23
- Issue:
- 4
- ISSN:
- 1363-755X
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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The current study investigates change in nonsymbolic number comparison performance during first grade and whether symbolic number skills, math skills, or executive function predict change.
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Abstract Children's early math skills have been hailed as a powerful predictor of academic success. Disparities in socioeconomic context, however, also have dramatic consequences on children's learning. It is therefore critical to investigate both of these distinct contributors in order to better understand the early foundations of children's academic outcomes. This study tests an integrated model of children's developing math ability so as to (1) identify the specific skills and abilities most clearly linked to early math achievement and (2) measure the influence of children's socioeconomic context on each of these skills. We first evaluated the early vocabulary, number word knowledge (knower level), and Approximate Number System (
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Recent meta-analyses have demonstrated a significant association between children’s early math achievement and their experiences with math at home, including their caregivers’ talk about math. However, few studies have investigated the relations between caregiver math talk and children’s learning with experimental designs. Eighty-six children (M = 5.0 years) and their caregivers were randomly assigned to play either a numeracy or a shape card game at home for six weeks. Data were collected on children’s number and shape knowledge and families’ math talk during gameplay. There was substantial participant attrition (42% did not return completed materials), however, both an intent-to-treat analysis of the sample that received study materials and a subgroup analysis of study completers showed that children who played the shape game significantly improved their shape naming and matching skills relative to children who played the number game. Children who played the number game did not significantly improve their numerical skills relative to children who played the shape game. Mathematical talk during gameplay varied between families but was correlated over time within families. Caregivers’ and children’s talk about matching cards by shape or color predicted children’s learning from the shape game. The results suggest that despite receiving uniform instructions and materials, there was significant variability in children’s home math experiences that predicted their learning from the card game.more » « less
