Family math is a current “buzz word” among early math educators. Different organizations define it differently, but it generally refers to math-related activities that happen outside the classroom and within the context of family relationships and everyday life. Given findings that early math achievement at preschool entry is predictive of later school success, and that there is an opportunity gap for children from under-resourced communities, we need to know more about how to activate and celebrate math learning in diverse racial, ethnic, cultural and socio-economic family and community contexts.

Early math learning in family and community contexts

We intend Promising Math 2019 to provide opportunities to address these concerns through the sharing and building of knowledge, and the development of new partnerships and networks of concerned stakeholders. Operating from the position that mathematics is both vitally important and an opportunity for joyful learning and relationships, our convening will highlight recent research on contexts where early math learning takes place before and outside of school. We want to connect diverse participants from varying backgrounds and offer examples of new frameworks for understanding culturally- and linguistically-diverse family interactions around mathematics.