The Interrelations between home numeracy activities, children's attitudes toward mathematics, and their mathematics achievement

Abstract

Children's mathematical development in the early years is critical for their future academic success. Based on Bandura's (1986) triadic reciprocal model of children's cognitive development, this study examined the reciprocal relations between children's attitudes toward mathematics, mathematics fluency, and home numeracy activities in 248 Chinese preschool children (123 boys; mean age = 52.43 months, SD = 4.65). The children and their caregivers were assessed at three time points from the second preschool year to the third preschool year, with intervals of five to seven months between time points. The cross-lagged results indicated that children's attitudes toward mathematics at Time 1 were associated with the frequency of operational, mapping, and informal numeracy activities at Time 2. However, mathematics fluency performance at Time 3 was predicted only by operational activities at Time 2. In addition, children's mathematics attitudes and fluency performance were reciprocally correlated (i.e., mathematics attitudes at Time 1 contributed to children's mathematics fluency at Time 2, which in turn, contributed to their mathematics attitudes at Time 3). This study highlights the active role played by young children in changing the home numeracy environment and developing their mathematical abilities.