Math Learning Begins at Home

Children demonstrate gaps in the math knowledge that they possess by the time they begin school, and these gaps have been found to predict long-term outcomes not only in math but also in reading. Consequently, it is important to identify what accounts for these early differences and how they can be addressed to ensure that all children enter school on track for academic success. This article explores the role of parents’ math talk in young children’s early math learning. The authors highlight the research on variations in the quantity and quality of parents’ math input, how these variations relate to children’s math knowledge, and how parent math input to young children can be enhanced.