UM Psychology Community Talk

Title: When Counting Doesn't Count: The Development of Math Skills in Young Children



Abstract: For decades schools have struggled with how to teach and increase the learning of mathematics in children. It has been the focus of multiple federal programs and funding agency (NSF, NIH, IES, Gates Foundation) initiatives. Even with all of this focus and research dollars, we see very few changes in children increasing their ability in mathematics especially in foundational skills like fractions. This presentation will review my research over the last few years on trying to understand the developmental pathways of math achievement. I will explore both individual characteristics (self-concept) and contextual influences (parenting, socioeconomic status) that may relate to the early development of math skills. Throughout the talk, the issue of whether or not counting is an important skill as children enter into schooling will be discussed as well as how math skills prior to formal schooling predict to college attendance.

Bio: Dr. Davis-Kean is Professor of Psychology (Developmental) at the University of Michigan where her research focuses on the various pathways that the socio-economic status (SES) of parents relates to the cognitive/achievement outcomes of their children, specifically math achievement. Her primary focus is on parental educational attainment and how it can influence the development of the home environment throughout childhood, adolescence, and the transition to adulthood. Davis-Kean is also a Research Professor at the Institute for Social Research where she is the Program Director of the Population, Neurodevelopment, and Genetics (PNG) program. This collaboration examines the complex transactions of brain, biology, and behavior as children and families develop across time. She is interested in how both the micro (brain and biology) and macro (family and socioeconomic conditions) aspects of development relate to cognitive changes in children across the lifespan.