英文摘要 |
To better understand how math experiences at home shape young children’s development of math competency, this study investigated the relationships between parents’ math attitudes, family math experiences, and early math skills. Participants were 132 kindergarten children and their mothers and preschool teachers from Taipei City and New Taipei City. Data were collected from questionnaires and one-on-one testings of children. Two underlying constructs of parents’ math attitudes were identified: math usefulness and self-perceived competence in math. Math usefulness predicted frequency of direct math teachings, while self-perceived competence in math predicted frequency of indirect math activities. After controlling for child and SES factors, two types of home math experiences played contrasting roles in affecting early math skills: "indirect math activities" is a positive predictor and "direct math teachings" is a negative predictor, to early math skills. The results may shed some light on how to provide appropriate family math experiences and diminish the differences of early math skills of young children from diverse backgrounds. |