Mathematical ability at a very young age: The contributions of relationship quality with parents and teachers via children’s language and literacy abilities

Mathematical ability at a very young age: The contributions of relationship quality with parents and teachers via children’s language and literacy abilities

• Cheung, Sum Kwing The Education University of Hong Kong
• Siu, Tik Sze Carrey The Education University of Hong Kong
• Caldwell, Melissa Pearl The Education University of Hong Kong

Early Childhood Education Journal, 2022

Springer

2022

• A Human Growth & Development
  • AB Cognitive & Language Development, Perceptual & Intellectual Development
• A Human Growth & Development
  • AG Child Development & Health
• G Curriculum, Teaching & Learning: Specific Disciplines
  • GC Mathematics & Statistics

Mathematical Ability Language Ability Literacy Ability Parent–child Relationship Teacher–child Relationship Very Young Children

• Hong Kong

• 1997.7 onwards

• Pre-Primary Education

High-quality caregiver-child relationships are critical to healthy development, including the acquisition of language and literacy skills. However, their potential benefits to early mathematical development and its underlying mechanisms have been minimally explored. In view that language and literacy development play prominent roles in mathematical development, this study investigated whether very young children’s relationship quality with parents and teachers were linked with their mathematical ability through language and literacy abilities. One hundred and thirty two-year-olds from pre-nursery classes in Hong Kong were tested on their early academic abilities. Furthermore, their parents and teachers evaluated on questionnaires the quality of their relationships with the children. Results of path analyses indicated that after controlling for children’s age, parent–child closeness was associated with children’s mathematical ability via language ability. Teacher–child closeness had a direct link to children’s mathematical ability, as well as indirect links through language and literacy abilities. Parent–child conflict and teacher–child conflict had neither direct nor indirect relations with children’s mathematical ability. These results suggest that mathematical development is interwoven with language and literacy development beginning in the early years. Also, parents and teachers should be reminded the importance of building close and affectionate relationships with very young children when nurturing the foundation for academic development. Copyright © 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.

• English

Journal Articles

• 10823301

• 10.1007/s10643-022-01338-x

https://bibliography.lib.eduhk.hk/en/bibs/67f9f084

2022-07-07