Publications | July 2024
Abstract: Adult verbal input occurs frequently during parent–child interactions. However, few studies have considered how parent language varies across informal STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) activities. In this study, we examined how open and closed parent questions (a) differed across three STEM activities and (b) related to math, science, and vocabulary knowledge in their preschool-aged children. A total of 173 parents and their preschool children (Mage = 4 years) from lower socioeconomic households were video-recorded participating in three STEM-related activities: (a) a pretend grocery store activity, (b) a bridge-building challenge, and (c) a book read about a science topic. Parent questions were categorized as open or closed according to the presence of key question terms. Results indicate that the three activities elicited different frequencies of parent open and closed questions, with the grocery store activity containing the most open and closed questions. Children’s science knowledge was predicted by the frequency and proportion of parent open questions during the book read. These results enhance our understanding of the role of parent questions in young children’s language environments in different informal learning contexts.
Published: July 6, 2024
Publication: Journal of Experimental Child Psychology
CLI Authors: Valerie P. Bambha, PhD, Sarah Surrain, PhD, Tricia A. Zucker, PhD and Yusra Ahmed, PhD
Funding: Funding for this study was provided by the National Science Foundation, Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) Division (1811356), and by the Institute of Education Sciences, Training Program in Early Interventions Within Research–Practice Partnerships (R324B200018).
Citation: Bambha, V. P., Surrain, S., Zucker, T. A., Ahmed, Y., & Leyva, D. (2024). The intersection of parent questions, child skills, and activity context in informal science, technology, engineering, and math learning. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 246. ISSN 0022-0965. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2024.106000