Goldilocks and the home mathematics environment: Parents' rate activities ‘too easy,’ ‘just right,’ or ‘too hard’ across early development

Abstract

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.