Knowing what they know: Preschool teachers’ knowledge of math skills and its relation to instruction [Link] Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, October 2024, 246, 105996

with Jiwon Ban, Camille Msall, Ashli-Ann Douglas, Bethany Rittle-Johnson, & Elida Laski

Abstract. Math experiences during the preschool years play an important role in children’s later math learning. Preschool teachers exhibit considerable variability in the amount and types of mathematics activities they engage in with their students; one potentially important source of these individual differences is adults’ knowledge of early math development. The current study aimed to describe preschool teachers’ knowledge of numeracy, patterning, and spatial/geometric skills developed in preschool and its relation to their reported mathematics instruction. Participants (N = 83) completed a survey in which they judged whether particular early math skills could be observed in typically developing 4-year-olds in the United States and reported their frequency of engaging in different math instructional activities. Pre- and in-service preschool teachers’ knowledge varied across the different domains (i.e., numeracy, patterning, and spatial/geometric) of mathematical thinking, but their reported frequency of instruction did not. Teachers who were found to be more accurate in their knowledge of early math development were more likely to report higher frequency of math instruction; looking specifically at the domains, the strength of association between knowledge and instruction was the strongest for numeracy. Such findings highlight the possibility that supporting preschool teachers’ knowledge of the range of math skills their students can be developing may be one component of improving early math teaching and learning.

The impact of brief information-based interventions on the home math environment [Link] Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, September 2024, 94, 101682

Ashli-Ann Douglas, Camille Msall, Faith Logan, & Bethany Rittle-Johnson

Abstract. This study evaluated the effect of two light-touch home math environment (HME) interventions on parental math support, knowledge about early math development, and expectations for their child's math development, with attention to both numeracy and repeating patterns. Participants were 107 parents (74% college educated, 53% high income, 54% White, 36% Black) and their four-year-old children. Parents completed surveys and a parent-child play session before and after an intervention during which they received information about numeracy (n = 54) or patterning (n = 53) development via a brief discussion and text messaging. The interventions increased some aspects of parental math support, particularly the frequency of observed support of patterning skills. However, potentially due to ceiling effects prior to the interventions, they did not substantially impact parental knowledge about nor expectations for early math development. We discuss these results with attention to the promise of light-touch HME interventions that utilize text messaging.

Presentations*: American Educational Research Association (2024) *Not including presentations by co-author.

Parents’ approaches to numeracy support: what parents do is rarely what they think is most important. [Link] Frontiers in Education, September 2023, 8, 1114803. 

Camille Msall, Ashli-Ann Douglas, & Bethany Rittle-Johnson

Abstract. The math children are exposed to at home is a crucial source of early math knowledge, but little is known about parents’ general approaches for supporting their children’s math development at home. The current study examined what general pedagogical approaches parents believed to be most important to use in their home and if these beliefs aligned with the approaches they reported using most often. In a survey of 344 U.S. preschool parents (56% mothers, 61% sons, 77% White, 79% with a bachelor’s degree or more), 83% of parents showed a mismatch in the pedagogical approach they used most often compared to what they believed to be most important to use. The most popular pedagogical approach to use was incorporating math during daily living experiences (the “daily living” approach) compared to three other approaches. Notably, although used most often, the “daily living” approach was the approach most frequently selected as least important. Rather, “direct teaching” was the approach most frequently selected as most important. Overall, this suggests a disconnect between how parents approach their home math support and what they believe is most important for their child’s math development at home.

Presentations: Mathematical Cognition and Learning Society (2022), American Educational Research Association (2023), Mathematical Cognition and Learning Society (2024)

Developing and Validating a Measure of Parental Knowledge About Early Math [Link] Frontiers in Psychology, May 2023, 14

Ashli-Ann Douglas, Camille Msall, & Bethany Rittle-Johnson

Abstract. Parents’ knowledge about the math skills that most preschool-aged children can develop might be an important component of the Home Math Environment (HME) as it might shape their math beliefs and efforts to support their preschoolers’ math development. This study aimed to systematically develop measures of parents’ knowledge about two critical early math topics, numeracy, and patterning, across five studies conducted with a total of 616 U.S. parents of 3- to 5-year-olds (66% mothers, 54% sons, 73% White, 60% college-educated). Parents were recruited via CloudResearch or a university database. Study 1 focused on item generation to revise a previous measure to capture a wider set of children’s early math skills and analysis of the psychometric properties of the measure after it was completed by 161 parents via a survey. Study 2 included an analysis of a new sample of parents (n = 21) who responded to the measures twice across two weeks to explore test–retest reliability. The measures were iteratively revised, administered to new samples, and analyzed in Studies 3 (n = 45), 4 (n = 46), and 5 (n = 344). The measures demonstrated adequate internal consistency and validity (construct, convergent, and discriminant) in Study 5 such as being positively related to parents’ numeracy and patterning beliefs about their children. Overall, the newly developed measures satisfy standards for the development of an adequate measure and can be used to better understand what parents know about early math development and how this relates to the HME that they facilitate.

Presentations: Mathematical Cognition and Learning Society (2023) 

Examining the role of spatial skills and mathematics motivation on middle school mathematics achievement [Link] International Journal of STEM Education,  December 2020, 7, 1-13.

Kinnari Atit, Jason Power, Norma Veurink, David Uttal, Sheryl Sorby, Grace Panther, Camille Msall, Logan Fiorella & Martha Carr 

Abstract. Background. Spatial skills and mathematical ability have been repeatedly identified as critical for achievement in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Previous studies have identified correlations between spatial skills and mathematical achievement; however, questions remain regarding improvements in non-spatial areas associated with STEM achievement. The current study examined whether competency in spatial skills could be related to individuals’ motivation for mathematics. Measures of spatial skills and mathematics motivation were completed by 1056 seventh grade students. Results. Using hierarchical linear modeling, spatial skills and math motivation were examined relative to students’ performance on a state standardized mathematics subtest. Results indicate that spatial skills and motivation interact to significantly predict students’ mathematics performance. Conclusions. These results suggest that spatial skills, in combination with motivation, play a significant role in middle school students’ mathematics achievement.

Minecraft as a generative platform for analyzing and practicing spatial reasoning [Conference Paper] Spatial Cognition,  August 2020, 297-302.

Brian Andrus, David Bar-El, Camille Msall, David Uttal, & Marcelo Worsley

Abstract. As excitement for Minecraft continues to grow, we consider its potential to function as an engaging environment for practicing and studying spatial reasoning. To support this exposition, we describe a glimpse of our current analysis of spatial reasoning skills in Minecraft. Twenty university students participated in a laboratory study that asked them to recreate three existing buildings in Minecraft. Screen captures of user actions, together with eye tracking data, helped us identify ways that students utilize perspective taking, constructing mental representations, building and place-marking, and error checking. These findings provide an initial impetus for further studies of the types of spatial skills that students may exhibit while playing Minecraft. It also introduces questions about how the design of Minecraft activities may promote, or inhibit, the use of certain spatial skills.

Forgetting and symbolic insight: delay improves children’s use of a novel symbol [Link] Journal of Experimental Child Psychology,  April 2020, 192, 104744.

Kelly Sheehan, Brock Ferguson, Camille Msall, & David Uttal

Abstract. To use a symbol, children must understand that the symbol stands for something in the world. This development has often been investigated in the model-room task in which children use a scale model to try to find a toy that is hidden in the room that the model represents. To succeed, children must acquire dual representation; they must put aside their understanding of the model as an object and focus more on what the model represents. Here we suggested that forgetting irrelevant details or misleading information may be an important part of acquiring and maintaining dual representation. Based on prior research showing that forgetting can promote insight in children and adults and that a small sample of 3-year-olds could improve on the model-room task with a delay, we hypothesized that taking a break during the model-room task would facilitate forgetting and hence symbolic insight. A total of 88 3-year-olds performed 8 trials of the model-room task. Half of the children received a 24-h delay after Trial 4, and half performed the 8 trials consecutively. Children who received a 24-h delay had better symbolic performance on the last 4 trials compared with children whose testing sessions occurred consecutively on 1 day, even when statistically controlling for the effects of learning over trials and memory on children’s performance. This study provides strong initial evidence that a delay can promote symbolic insight in 3-year-old children.

Defining and measuring the influences of GIS-based instruction on students’ STEM-relevant reasoning [Link] International Journal of STEM Education,  January 2020, 119(1), 22-31.

Erin Jant, David Uttal,  Robert Kolvoord, Camille Msall, Katherine James

Abstract. Geospatial technologies, such as geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing, and GPS have been used in a variety of educational settings to help improve student learning. A sample of 53 high school seniors was recruited from the Geospatial Semester (GSS), a course that emphasizes the use of GIS for problem-solving and students in AP Physics and AP History served as a comparison. GSS students’ spatial thinking and problem solving improved across the school year in contrast to Comparison Group. Results suggest that GIS-based instruction can be used to enhance students’ use of spatial reasoning when solving STEM-relevant problems.

Applying Dialogic Reading Techniques to a Number Board Game [Dissertation study]

Abstract. Early numeracy skills are critical for later mathematics achievement and life success. In the preschool years, children’s exposure to numbers, mathematics concepts, as well as other domains comes from the world around them, including the informal activities they engage in. Literacy research on children’s early literacy knowledge shows promising benefits of adults engaging in “dialogic questions” with young children during book reading, including math-related book reading. The goal of the current study centers on how techniques from book reading research using dialogic questions may help children’s learning in other informal contexts. Specifically, the proposed research examines dialogic questions in the context of number board games.

Developing an Understanding of Patterning. Journal of Numerical Cognition. Abstract accepted at Journal of Numerical Cognition.

Camille Msall, Betul Yildrim, Bethany Rittle-Johnson, & Serkan Özel

Abstract. Math experiences during the preschool years play an important role in children’s later math learning. Preschool teachers exhibit considerable variability in the amount and types of mathematics activities they engage in with their students; one potentially important source of these individual differences is adults’ knowledge of early math development. The current study aimed to describe preschool teachers’ knowledge of numeracy, patterning, and spatial/geometric skills developed in preschool and its relation to their reported mathematics instruction. Participants (N = 83) completed a survey in which they judged whether particular early math skills could be observed in typically developing 4-year-olds in the United States and reported their frequency of engaging in different math instructional activities. Pre- and in-service preschool teachers’ knowledge varied across the different domains (i.e., numeracy, patterning, and spatial/geometric) of mathematical thinking, but their reported frequency of instruction did not. Teachers who were found to be more accurate in their knowledge of early math development were more likely to report higher frequency of math instruction; looking specifically at the domains, the strength of association between knowledge and instruction was the strongest for numeracy. Such findings highlight the possibility that supporting preschool teachers’ knowledge of the range of math skills their students can be developing may be one component of improving early math teaching and learning.

Presentations: Cognitive Development Society (2022), American Educational Research Association (2024)