A study of parent-child numeracy interaction in families of English language learners
by Stiles, Terri F., Ph.D., CAPELLA UNIVERSITY, 2010, 183 pages; 3412355

Abstract:

Current research has focused on early numeracy in the preschool setting, but few studies have addressed the relationship between elementary school children’s understanding of mathematical concepts and parent-child interactions during math play or work. As a result, the researcher sought to understand the extent to which math concepts were discussed between parents and their children ages 5 to 7 during math interactions in 5 families of English language learners. The researcher employed a case study methodology that included visiting the participating families; observing their behaviors while they were engaged in math activities with their children; and obtaining parent-authored journals that described the participants’ daily, weekly, and monthly math activities. This qualitative study linked studies of early numeracy acquisition to the observation of parent-child communication during mathematics interactions in the families of students receiving English as a second language services in their school. The results indicated that counting was the strategy chosen the most often during play with blocks or cards and when completing a math worksheet. The patterns of communication observed during the home visits indicated that most of the families engaged in parent-initiated conversations. The parents in Families 1, 2, and 4 initiated conversations 95% of the time. The parents in Family 5 initiated conversations 80% of the time. The parents in Family 3 initiated conversations 70% of the time. All of the families reported spending time on mathematical activities with their children, including math-related video or computer games, followed by Legos, puzzles, and cooking activities. In the course of an average week, Family 1 spent an average of 10.5 hours, Family 2 spent 15 hours, Family 3 spent 21.25 hours, Family 4 spent 7.75 hours, and Family 5 spent 15.25 hours in these activities. The overarching finding was that the families who spent a significant amount of time doing math-related activities with their children had children who were more confident in approaching math problems. Future research might include a longitudinal study involving family math communication as well an exploration of effective strategies that families and schools can employ to communicate with children about math.

 
AdviserCasey Reason
SchoolCAPELLA UNIVERSITY
SourceDAI/A 71-08, p. , Aug 2010
Source TypeDissertation
SubjectsEnglish as a second language; Early childhood education; Elementary education; Individual & family studies
Publication Number3412355
Adobe PDF Access the complete dissertation:
 

» Find an electronic copy at your library.
  Use the link below to access a full citation record of this graduate work:
  http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl%3furl_ver=Z39.88-2004%26res_dat=xri:pqdiss%26rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation%26rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:3412355
  If your library subscribes to the ProQuest Dissertations & Theses (PQDT) database, you may be entitled to a free electronic version of this graduate work. If not, you will have the option to purchase one, and access a 24 page preview for free (if available).

About ProQuest Dissertations & Theses
With over 2.3 million records, the ProQuest Dissertations & Theses (PQDT) database is the most comprehensive collection of dissertations and theses in the world. It is the database of record for graduate research.

The database includes citations of graduate works ranging from the first U.S. dissertation, accepted in 1861, to those accepted as recently as last semester. Of the 2.3 million graduate works included in the database, ProQuest offers more than 1.9 million in full text formats. Of those, over 860,000 are available in PDF format. More than 60,000 dissertations and theses are added to the database each year.

If you have questions, please feel free to visit the ProQuest Web site - http://www.proquest.com - or call ProQuest Hotline Customer Support at 1-800-521-3042.