Tell Me About Math: A Longitudinal Training Study on the Effects of Parent-child Interactions and Parental Cognition on Children's Math Abilities

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Current research suggests a relationship between the development of approximate number system (ANS) cognition in children and later mathematics achievement on standardized tests. However, little is known about the role parent-child interactions play with respect to the ANS. This study allows the field to better understand the transmission of cognitive skills like the ANS across generations. It also allows for the exploration of the potential for training for both parents and children to impact ANS to support math achievement in children prior to formal classroom instruction.The study will examine the causal influence and social and cognitive factors on the development of the ANS and math abilities by assessing the relationship between parents' ANS and math abilities, number-related parent-child interactions, and children's cognitive abilities. Using a longitudinal training study combining laboratory assessments of 200 parent-child dyads, and naturalistic in-home observations, the study will allow for examining social and cognitive factors simultaneously in parents and their children. The dyads will be randomly assigned to number-related and literacy-related training allow for causal estimates of the effect of parents' ANS and math abilities and children's outcomes.This project is supported by NSF's EHR Core Research (ECR) program. The ECR program emphasizes fundamental STEM education research that generates foundational knowledge in the field. Investments are made in critical areas that are essential, broad and enduring: STEM learning and STEM learning environments, broadening participation in STEM, and STEM workforce development. The program supports the accumulation of robust evidence to inform efforts to understand, build theory to explain, and suggest intervention and innovations to address persistent challenges in STEM interest, education, learning and participation.