Perceptual cues in instructional materials may help students notice structures of math notation and improve problem-solving performance. The present study examined whether and how congruent perceptual cues (spacing and color) affected students' performance on order-of-operations problems and considered potential moderators. The analysis included 482 middle-school students, randomly assigned to one of three conditions: spacing (3 − 9 + 4×7), color (“4 × 7” highlighted in 3 − 9 + 4 × 7), or no cues. Students participated via an online platform during a 45-min block in their classrooms. Beyond examining performance during the experiment and posttest, we considered moderators of prior order-of-operations knowledge, perception of equivalence, and math anxiety. Neither congruent spacing nor congruent color affected performance on the experimental items or posttest. However, students with higher perception of equivalence benefited more from congruent spacing cues than students with lower perception of equivalence. Students with higher math anxiety struggled more during the experiment, but there was no moderation. Future work should include specific intervention scaffolding and feedback alongside the presentation of cues, as well as delve into variations in perceptual structures at the individual and problem levels to fully understand effects of perceptual cues on math problem-solving performance.

This study investigated the structure of the home math environment (HME) of preschoolers. Examinations include the relation between parental communal beliefs, home math engagement, children's math skill development, and whether communal beliefs mediated these relations. Parents reported data ( N = 652, 49% female, mean age = 4.25; parental demographics: 87.4% White, 9% Latine and Hispanic, 6% African American, 58% 4-year degree or higher, mean income = $70,000–$79,999). The HME structure diverged from prior work. Significant differences were found in home math engagement based on children's age. Communal beliefs were significantly different based on parental ethnicity and education. While children's HME and communal beliefs were significantly associated with their math skill development, communal beliefs were not a significant mediator. Overall, this study provided important progress toward understanding the role of these constructs in the development of children's early math skills.

ABSTRACT As women are underrepresented in STEM and the home learning environment has been associated with children's science knowledge, this study focuses on the home science environment as an area where gender differences may occur. To identify potential antecedents of gender differences, this study examined whether there were mean differences in the frequency of parent engagement in science content, processes and resources by child gender and parent relation. 906 parents of 1‐ to 6‐year‐old children (67% female, 86% White, 50% female children) completed a cross‐sectional online survey about the home science environment. Results indicate no significant differences in the frequency of science engagement between parents of girls and parents of boys and between mothers and fathers ( η 2 < 0.01). We did not find any significant gender differences in parents' reports of their frequency of engagement in early home science activities across content, processes and resources.

Research focusing on the home mathematics environment has shown mixed results across age groups. Using data from a large online survey, we explored parents' perceptions of the age appropriateness of home mathematics activities for their children. Children's ages ranged from one to 6 years old (N = 958). Activities spanned multiple domains of early mathematics including numeracy, geometry, patterning, spatial, and measurement domains. Descriptive statistics show there are clear developmental shifts in the appropriateness ratings for activities within and across these domains. Findings provide insight for future implications on the measurement of the home mathematics environment, as well as future research on age differences in the home mathematics environment.

This article synthesizes findings from an international virtual conference, funded by the United States National Science Foundation, focused on the home mathematics environment (HME). In light of inconsistencies and gaps in research investigating relations between the HME and children’s outcomes, the purpose of the conference was to discuss actionable steps and considerations for future work. The conference was composed of international researchers with a wide range of expertise and backgrounds. Presentations and discussions during the conference centered broadly on the need to better operationalize and measure the HME as a construct—focusing on issues related to child, family, and community factors, country and cultural factors, and the cognitive and affective characteristics of caregivers and children. Results of the conference and a subsequent writing workshop include a synthesis of core questions and key considerations for the field of research on the HME. Findings highlight the need for the field at large to use multi-method measurement approaches to capture nuances in the HME, and to do so with increased international and interdisciplinary collaboration, open science practices, and communication among scholars.