Family Home Care Providers' and Parent's Beliefs and Practices Concerning Mathematics with Young Children
Document Type
Article
Journal/Book Title/Conference
Early Child Development and Care
Volume
165
Publisher
Taylor & Francis (Routledge)
Publication Date
2000
First Page
41
Last Page
58
Abstract
Three studies are reported which describe aspects of the early childhood environment surrounding the development of mathematics concepts. Study 1 examined the beliefs and attitudes of family home day care providers concerning mathematics. Although providers rated math skills lower in importance than other skills, they thought that math skills were acquired in the same way as other skills. In Study 2 both parent and family day care providers reported similar frequencies for engaging children in math activities. In Study 3 we addressed the question of whether the beliefs and reported activities of parents and providers predict children's performance on the Test of Early Mathematics Ability‐2. The frequency of math activities reported by parents or family day care providers was not significantly correlated with children's mathematics achievement scores in either age group. It appears that some mathematical activities do occur in children's homes and in family day care, but the frequency and scope of these experiences is limited.
Recommended Citation
Family Home Care Providers’ and Parents’ Beliefs and Practices Concerning Mathematics with Young Children. Belinda Blevins-Knabe, Ann M. Berghout Austin, Linda Musun, Annette Eddy, and Randall M. Jones, Early Child Development and Care, 165, 41-58.
