How early home conversations about math affect young children's learning.

Early Home Influences on Math Learning in Young Children from Diverse Families

NIH-funded research University of California-Irvine · NIH-10741668

This study is exploring how chatting about math between parents and their young kids, in both English and Spanish, can help boost the kids' math skills, especially for families from diverse backgrounds.

Quick facts

Grant typeR03 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of California-Irvine NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Irvine, United States)
Project IDNIH-10741668 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

This research investigates how different types of conversations about math, known as 'math talk,' between parents and their young children influence the children's math skills. It focuses on interactions in both English and Spanish, particularly looking at the roles of both mothers and fathers in these discussions. By analyzing recorded play and reading sessions, the study aims to understand how these verbal inputs contribute to children's math abilities as they grow. The research is part of a larger project aimed at supporting low-income, ethnically diverse families.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates for this research are first-time parents from low-income, ethnically diverse backgrounds with children aged 0-3 years.

Not a fit: Families with children older than 3 years or those not from low-income, diverse backgrounds may not benefit from this research.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this research could help improve math skills in young children from diverse backgrounds, potentially leading to better educational outcomes.

How similar studies have performed: Previous research has shown that parental engagement in early childhood education, including math talk, positively impacts children's learning, suggesting this approach has a solid foundation.

Where this research is happening

Irvine, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-09 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.