Personalizing real-world problems: Posing own problems increases self-efficacy expectations, intrinsic value, attainment value, and utility value.

BACKGROUND: Real-world problems are important in math instruction, but they do not necessarily trigger students' task motivation. Personalizing real-world problems by (1) matching problems to students' shared living environment (context personalization) and (2) asking students to pose their own problems (active personalization) might be two interventions to increase students' task motivation. AIM: In the current study, we investigated the effects of context personalization and active personalization on students' self-efficacy expectations, intrinsic value, attainment value, utility value, and cost. SAMPLE: The participants were 28 fifth- and sixth-grade students who voluntarily took part in a six-month afterschool program in which they posed problems with the aim of creating a math walk in their hometown. METHOD: Using a within-subjects design, at the end of the afterschool program, the students rated their self-efficacy expectations and task values for four self-developed problems associated with their hometown, four peer-developed problems associated with their hometown, and four instructor-provided problems associated with unfamiliar locations. RESULTS: Students reported higher self-efficacy expectations, intrinsic value, attainment value, and utility value for active-personalized than non-personalized problems. To a lesser extent, context personalization promoted intrinsic value and attainment value. No effect was found for cost. CONCLUSIONS: Active personalization (i.e. asking students to pose their own real-world problems) is suited to enhance students' task motivation, specifically their self-efficacy expectations, intrinsic value, attainment value, and utility value. Context personalization still boosts students' intrinsic value and attainment value. Implementation in classroom instruction is discussed.

Effects of a 3-factor field intervention on numerical and geometric knowledge in preschool children.

The main aim of this study was to develop and test the effects of a field math intervention program on both number and geometry knowledge. The intervention was developed based on three basic skills previously associated with mathematical performance: symbolic number knowledge, mapping processes and spatial reasoning. The participants were 117 preschoolers from six schools in Cali and Bogotá. The children were assigned to an intervention group (N = 55) or a control group (N = 62). The intervention lasted 11 weeks with 3 sessions per week where the children participated in different game-based activities. Tests of numerical and geometric knowledge were administered before and after the intervention. The effects of the intervention were tested twice, immediately after the program ended and six months later. The results show that the children in the intervention group improved more than the control group in both number and geometry. The second posttest revealed a significant intervention effect for geometry, but not for numerical knowledge. The implications of these mixed patterns of results are discussed in the paper.

The sums are larger than their natural number addends: Relation to operands understanding predicts growth in arithmetic/algebraic problem solving.

The relation to operands (RO) principles describe the relation between operands and answers in arithmetic problems (e.g., the sum is always larger than its positive addends). Despite being a fundamental property of arithmetic, its empirical relation with arithmetic/algebraic problem solving has seldom been investigated. The current longitudinal study aimed to address this issue. Two-hundred-and-two Chinese fifth graders (57% boys) were assessed on their RO understanding. Their arithmetic/algebraic problem solving were assessed multiple times over 2 years. Results from latent growth curve modeling showed that RO understanding predicted the growth in arithmetic/algebraic problem solving when other known predictors of arithmetic/algebraic problem solving were controlled. The findings highlight the role of RO understanding in children's mathematical development. Interventions should be developed to enhance children's RO understanding. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Digital games for learning basic arithmetic at home.

Many early learners need individualized support when regular teaching is not readily available. Here we present results of a progressive digital game that was played at home rather than under the supervision of the teacher. "NumberBeads" was designed to help low attaining learners, but also typical early learners. The game required learners to construct objects-sets and digits-to match a target object, and was played at home using an online platform. The participants were first-graders (n=140) enrolled in 10 classrooms randomly assigned to two groups. One group played NumberBeads, requiring students to construct solutions in a microworld of sets and digits. Another group played a similar game, NumberChoice, which contained the same elements, sets and digits, but used multiple-choice questions with right/wrong feedback. Results showed that learners using both games were able to complete the game unsupervised at home, but there was greater improvement with NumberBeads especially with learners identified as low attaining. Overall these findings support the feasibility of boosting early numeracy at home using a game designed to help basic numerical competence that requires no teacher supervision, and very little guidance by parents or carers.

Formative evaluation of a STEAM and nutrition education summer program for low-income youth.

In-depth formative evaluations are vital for curriculum development and program planning but are often not conducted before a program pilots. A formative evaluation of Project stRIde was conducted to gain insight from experts and identify revisions to the curriculum. Project stRIde is a science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) and nutrition-based curriculum developed for 4th and 5th grade students from low-income and diverse families. Nine experts spanning the fields of nutrition education, cultural competency, elementary education, summer programs, and STEAM outreach were recruited to participate in an expert content review (ECR) survey and virtual interviews. Seven core themes were identified: effectively promoting student engagement, increased guidance or support needed, activity too difficult for age, time, confidence in teaching lessons, cultural appropriateness, and strengths of curriculum in promoting STEAM education and innovation. Across the lessons, all reviewers agreed that the lessons were accurate, incorporated STEAM concepts, and were culturally appropriate for this population. Future major edits to the curriculum include creating supplemental videos, modifying some activities for age level, and incorporating more opportunities for participant engagement. Overall, an ECR is an effective way to examine a program's strengths and limitations and should be included in the beginning stages of program planning.

Tuning Random Forests for Causal Inference under Cluster-Level Unmeasured Confounding.

Recently, there has been growing interest in using machine learning methods for causal inference due to their automatic and flexible ability to model the propensity score and the outcome model. However, almost all the machine learning methods for causal inference have been studied under the assumption of no unmeasured confounding and there is little work on handling omitted/unmeasured variable bias. This paper focuses on a machine learning method based on random forests known as Causal Forests and presents five simple modifications for tuning Causal Forests so that they are robust to cluster-level unmeasured confounding. Our simulation study finds that adjusting the default tuning procedure with the propensity score from fixed effects logistic regression or using variables that are centered to their cluster means produces estimates that are more robust to cluster-level unmeasured confounding. Also, when these parametric propensity score models are mis-specified, our modified machine learning methods remain robust to bias from cluster-level unmeasured confounders compared to existing parametric approaches based on propensity score weighting. We conclude by demonstrating our proposals in a real data study concerning the effect of taking an eighth-grade algebra course on math achievement scores from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study.

Preschoolers prior formal mathematics education engage numerical magnitude representation rather than counting principles in symbolic ±1 arithmetic: Evidence from the operational momentum effect.

In numerical cognition research, the operational momentum (OM) phenomenon (tendency to overestimate the results of addition and/or binding addition to the right side and underestimating subtraction and/or binding it to the left side) can help illuminate the most basic representations and processes of mental arithmetic and their development. This study is the first to demonstrate OM in symbolic arithmetic in preschoolers. It was modeled on Haman and Lipowska's (2021) non-symbolic arithmetic task, using Arabic numerals instead of visual sets. Seventy-seven children (4-7 years old) who know Arabic numerals and counting principles (CP), but without prior school math education, solved addition and subtraction problems presented as videos with one as the second operand. In principle, such problems may be difficult when involving a non-symbolic approximate number processing system, whereas in symbolic format they can be solved based solely on the successor/predecessor functions and knowledge of numerical orders, without reference to representation of numerical magnitudes. Nevertheless, participants made systematic errors, in particular, overestimating results of addition in line with the typical OM tendency. Moreover, subtraction and addition induced longer response times when primed with left- and right-directed movement, respectively, which corresponds to the reversed spatial form of OM. These results largely replicate those of non-symbolic task and show that children at early stages of mastering symbolic arithmetic may rely on numerical magnitude processing and spatial-numerical associations rather than newly-mastered CP and the concept of an exact number.

Development and Validation of the Brief Math Anxiety Scale (BMAS) in University Students / Desarrollo y Validación de la Brief Math Anxiety Scale (BMAS) en Estudiantes Universitarios

Background: This study developed the Brief Math Anxiety Scale (BMAS), a brief version of the Shortened Math Anxiety Rating Scale (sMARS), maintaining its original three-factor structure, by applying item response theory. Method: The sMARS was administered to 1,349 undergraduates, along with other questionnaires to measure their math ability, trait and test anxieties, and attitudes toward mathematics. Results: Results showed that the original scale could be reduced to nine items (three for each subscale). We provided evidence of good psychometric properties: strong internal consistency, adequate 7-week test-retest reliability, and good convergent/discriminant validity. Conclusions: In conclusion, the BMAS provides valid interpretations and reliable scores for assessing math anxiety in university students, and is especially useful in situations with time constraints where the longer form is impractical.(AU)

Antecedentes: En este estudio se presenta el desarrollo de la Brief Math Anxiety Scale (BMAS), una versión breve de la Shortened Math Anxiety Rating Scale (sMARS) manteniendo su estructura original de tres factores, aplicando la teoría de respuesta al ítem. Método: La sMARS, así como otros cuestionarios para medir su capacidad matemática, la ansiedad rasgo y frente a los exámenes y las actitudes hacia las matemáticas, se administraron a 1.349 estudiantes universitarios. Resultados: Los resultados mostraron que la escala original podía reducirse a nueve ítems (tres para cada subescala). Proporcionamos evidencia de sus buenas propiedades psicométricas: consistencia interna excelente, adecuada fiabilidad test-retest a las 7 semanas y buena validez convergente/discriminante. Conclusiones: En conclusión, la BMAS proporciona interpretaciones válidas y puntuaciones fiables para evaluar la ansiedad matemática en estudiantes universitarios y es especialmente útil en situaciones con disponibilidad de tiempo limitado, donde la forma más larga no es aplicable.(AU)

Ateneo General de la Residencia de Psicopedagogía: ¡Estamos en problemas! Revisitando las matemáticas desde la clínica psicopedagógica / General Athenaeum of the Psychopedagogical Residence: We are in problems!: Revisiting mathematics from the clinic psychopedagogical

Ateneo donde en una primera parte se reflexiona sobre la valoración social de las matemáticas y de dónde surge. Luego se realiza un recorrido para pensar las matemáticas como un lenguaje a ser aprendido; cómo los niños y las niñas construyen este objeto de conocimiento y qué operaciones del pensamiento permiten esta construcción; y cómo se enseña en la escuela. Se continúa con los problemas matemáticos y sus estructuras y finalmente se reflexiona acerca de la clínica psicopedagógica a partir de casos clínicos y desafíos matemáticos.

Contribution of Attentional Networks to Basic Arithmetic Achievement in School-age Children / Contribución de las redes atencionales al rendimiento en aritmética básica en niños de edad escolar

Nowadays, there is still debate about the origin of arithmetic disabilities. Two predominant hypotheses have been developed in this regard: 1) difficulties in arithmetic appear due to a deficit in domain-specific skills (numerical skills) and 2) there is a strong relationship between the development of the domain-general processes and arithmetical skills. In this study we explore the specific contribution of orienting and executive control attentional networks to individual variability in basic mental arithmetic. Participants were elementary school children, from second to third grade, with and without difficulties in basic mental arithmetic. Results provide support for the two proposed hypotheses. Children with difficulties in arithmetic showed difficulties both in numerical skills and in attentional networks. These findings suggest that arithmetic difficulties may be associated with a heterogeneous combination of deficits, including difficulties in attentional functioning.

En la actualidad existe aún debate sobre el origen de las dificultades en aritmética. Se han desarrollado dos hipótesis predominantes al respecto: 1) las dificultades en aritmética aparecen por un déficit en las capacidades de dominio específico (capacidades numéricas) y 2) hay una estrecha relación entre el desarrollo de los procesos de dominio general y las habilidades aritméticas. En este estudio se explora la contribución específica de las redes de atención ejecutiva y orientación atencional a la explicación de la varianza en aritmética básica. Participaron niños de segundo y tercer grado de primaria, con y sin dificultades en aritmética básica. Nuestros resultados ofrecen sustento a las dos hipótesis propuestas, ya que los niños con dificultades en aritmética mostraron dificultades tanto en las capacidades numéricas como en las redes atencionales. Estos hallazgos sugieren que las dificultades en aritmética pudieran estar asociadas a una combinación heterogénea de déficits, incluyendo dificultades en el funcionamiento atencional.

Self-regulated learning of Natural Sciences and Mathematics future teachers: learning strategies, self-efficacy, and socio-demographic factors

Teacher education programs should have as one of their purposes the promotion of self-regulatory skills for learning among students who aspire to be teachers so that they can take a leading role in their learning and foster these skills in their future students. Considering the importance of knowing what students in teacher education programs do to study and learn, as well as how efficacious they feel to deal with academic demands, this study is part of a larger research and aims to investigate the learning and study strategies and self-efficacy for learning beliefs of 220 students enrolled in teacher education programs in Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics of a Higher Education Institution in the state of Piauí, and examine them in relation to age, gender, licentiate area, and course semester. Brazilian translations of the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI ­ Third Edition) and the Self-efficacy for Learning Form were used for data collection. Scales were administered in the classrooms both through online platforms and in paper and pencil. Nonparametric inferential statistical pproaches were used to test hypotheses regarding group differences. Statistically significant differences were found in LASSI in relation to gender, licentiate area, and course semester. Overall, students in Physics dealt better with anxiety; in Mathematics showed more favorable attitudes towards learning; in Chemistry reported an aging their time better; in Biological Science showed significantly lower scores on many scales than did other students. Findings from this study could help inform curricular design decisions regarding teacher education programs and inform the design of interventions to strengthen the learning and study strategies and the self-efficacy for learning beliefs of future teachers.

Professional development and career-preparedness experiences of STEM Ph.D. students: Gaps and avenues for improvement.

This study presents the experiences of current science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) Ph.D. students and alumni with respect to professional development opportunities in their Ph.D. training. Specifically, it investigates if and how the Ph.D. training supports graduates to pursue non-academic and non-R&D roles, which have become increasingly common career paths post-graduation. A mixed-methods questionnaire was developed to obtain quantitative and qualitative data regarding the graduate school experiences of current Ph.D. students and recent Ph.D. graduates pursuing diverse career paths. The study investigates the values, needs, and conceptions of professional development from the student perspective, as well as the contributions of peers and mentors in graduate school towards their professional development. Experiences of Ph.D. alumni are used to identify the barriers for transitioning to the first job post-graduation and to provide an assessment of the current professional development opportunities in Ph.D. programs. It is reported that although Ph.D. training allowed alumni to develop a robust skillset that includes research, teaching, and scientific writing; some common barriers associated with obtaining a job post-graduation were lack of awareness about career options, limited or no professional networks outside academia, and a lack of preparation and support for non-academic job transitions. Through analyzing the student perspective on various aspects of professional development, the study identifies gaps and avenues for improvement for professional development in Ph.D. training, including increased awareness of diverse career paths for STEM PhDs, increased networking opportunities for PhD students with sectors outside academia, embedding professional development in the PhD curriculum, and others; so that programs can support students in entering the labor market in a variety of careers that extend beyond academia and traditional R&D jobs, using interventions that resonate with the students and meet their needs.

RASE: Modeling cumulative disadvantage due to marginalized group status in academia.

We propose a framework of Resources, Achievement, Status, and Events (RASE) that allows the many disparate but well-documented phenomena affecting underrepresented groups in STEM to be assembled into a story of career trajectories, illuminating the possible cumulative impact of many small inequities. Our framework contains a three-component deterministic cycle of (1) production of Achievements from Resources, (2) updated community Status due to Achievements, and (3) accrual of additional Resources based on community Status. A fourth component, stochastic Events, can influence an individual's level of Resources or Achievements at each time step of the cycle. We build a specific mathematical model within the RASE framework and use it to investigate the impact of accumulated disadvantages from multiple compounding variables. We demonstrate that the model can reproduce data of observed disparities in academia. Finally, we use a publicly available visualization and networking tool to provide a sandbox for exploring career outcomes within the model. The modeling exercise, results, and visualization tool may be useful in the context of training STEM faculty to recognize and reduce effects of bias.

Leading by example: developing mentoring strategies to promote diversity and student success.

Research has shown that individuals from diverse backgrounds and women are underrepresented in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. A lack of identifiable role models/mentorship and poor mentoring experiences are a few cited factors that continue to limit increased diversity. As an underrepresented individual and a faculty member at a minority-serving institution, I strive to provide my students with a strong example, one that they can identify with. Part of my approach has been to develop mentoring pillars and strategies that seek to build relationships with my mentees and that aim to improve their research experience. This essay briefly describes my experiences as a mentor and the mentoring pillars I developed to promote a diverse and inclusive environment for my current and future mentees.

Reimagining the Introductory Math Curriculum for Life Sciences Students.

Calculus is typically one of the first college courses encountered by science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors. Calculus often presents major challenges affecting STEM student persistence, particularly for students from groups historically underrepresented in STEM. For life sciences majors, calculus courses may not offer content that is relevant to biological systems or connect with students' interests in biology. We developed a transformative approach to teaching college-level math, using a dynamical systems perspective that focuses first on demonstrating why students need math to understand living systems, followed by providing quantitative and computational skills, including concepts from calculus, that students need to build and analyze mathematical models representing these systems. We found that students who complete these new math courses perform better in subsequent science courses than their counterparts who take traditional calculus courses. We also provide evidence that the new math curriculum positively impacts students' academic performance, with data that show narrowing of the achievement gap, based on students' math grades, between student subgroups in the new math courses. Moreover, our results indicate that students' interest in the concepts and skills critical to the quantitative preparation of 21st-century life sciences majors increases after completing the new contextualized math curriculum.

Virtual Vanderbilt Summer Science Academy highlighted the opportunity to impact early STEMM students career knowledge through narrative.

Due to COVID-19 precautions, the Vanderbilt University summer biomedical undergraduate research program, the Vanderbilt Summer Science Academy (VSSA), rapidly transitioned from offering an in-person training program to a virtual seminar format. Our program typically supports undergraduate development through research and/or clinical experience, meeting with individuals pursuing postgraduate training, and providing career development advice. Evidence supports the idea that summer programs transform undergraduates by clarifying their interest in research and encouraging those who haven't previously considered graduate studies. We were interested in exploring whether a virtual, synchronous program would increase participants' scientific identity and clarify postgraduate career planning. Rather than create a virtual research exposure, our 5-week "Virtual VSSA" program aimed to simulate the casual connections that would naturally be made with post-undergraduate trainees during a traditional summer program. In seminars, presenters discussed 1) their academic journey, explaining their motivations, goals, and reasons for pursuing a career in science as well as 2) a professional story that illustrated their training. Seminars included Vanderbilt University and Medical School faculty, M.D., MD/Ph.D., as well as Ph.D. students from diverse scientific and personal backgrounds. In addition, weekly informational sessions provided an overview of the nature of each degree program along with admissions advice. Through pre-and post-program surveys, we found that students who registered for this experience already strongly identified with the STEMM community (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine). However, participation in the Virtual VSSA increased their sense of belonging. We also uncovered a gap in participants' understanding of postgraduate pathways prior to participation and found that our program significantly increased their self-reported understanding of postgraduate programs. It also increased their understanding of why someone would pursue a Ph.D. or Ph.D./MD versus M.D. These changes did not uniformly impact participants' planned career paths. Overall, by providing personal, tangible stories of M.D., MD/Ph.D., and Ph.D. training, the Virtual VSSA program offered seminars that positively impacted students' sense of belonging with and connection to the STEMM disciplines.

Child Development in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

BACKGROUND: The United Nations (UN) created the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) to monitor progress toward achieving goals of the World Declaration on the Survival, Protection, and Development of Children and its plan of action. The MICS is nationally representative and internationally comparable. METHODS: In this study, we use MICS data from 51 low- and middle-income countries on 159 959 children between 36 and 59 months of age. To index national development, we used the 2013 UN Human Development Index (HDI), which provides data on country-level life expectancy, education, and income. To index child development, we used the Early Childhood Development Index (ECDI), which assesses literacy and numeracy, socioemotional development, physical health, and approaches to learning. RESULTS: Children's literacy and numeracy, socioemotional development, and approaches to learning all increase linearly as national development on the HDI (especially education) increases. Overall, the HDI revealed a positive association (r = 0.40) with the ECDI: the HDI explained 16% of variance in children's ECDI scores and was the most influential predictor of ECDI scores examined. HDI-ECDI relations are robust, even when we control for multiple demographic aspects of children (age, sex), mothers (age, education), and households (size variables) as covariates. No family demographic variable was a stronger predictor of child development than national development. CONCLUSIONS: To promote child development, low- and middle-income countries need to develop and implement policies that ensure national health and wealth and, particularly, the educational achievements of children's caregivers. These findings are faithful to the World Summit for Children and inform the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which drive the international development agenda through 2030.

Integrating active learning activities and metacognition into STEM writing courses.

Although active learning is highly recognized and recommended in the educational community, instructors are still struggling with how to incorporate active learning tools into writing courses. This study aims to 1) describe specific challenges encountered in the course of Molecular Cell Biology Laboratory-Critical Thinking through Writing (BIOL3810-CTW); 2) introduce the active learning approaches and metacognition integrated into this writing-intensive course; 3) demonstrate the effectiveness of these active learning approaches in engaging students in classes; and 4) share the principles of integrating active learning activities into writing courses in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and beyond.

Desempenho em aritmética de estudantes com e sem sintomas de TDAH / Arithmetic performance in students with and without ADHD symptoms / Desempeño en aritmética de estudiantes con y sin síntomas de TDAH

O Transtorno de Déficit de Atenção/Hiperatividade (TDAH) é um transtorno que frequentemente acarreta prejuízos ao desempenho acadêmico. O presente estudo teve como objetivo verificar a extensão desses prejuízos no desempenho aritmético, comparando estudantes com sintomas de TDAH com o de seus pares sem TDAH. O desempenho aritmético de 93 estudantes com sintomas de TDAH e 447 estudantes sem TDAH, entre 7 e 16 anos, de escolas públicas de Porto Alegre (3º a 9º ano), foi avaliado pelo Subteste de Aritmética do TDE. Estudantes com sintomas de TDAH apresentaram escores mais baixos e uma quantidade maior de erros de procedimento do que os estudantes sem o transtorno. Os resultados sugerem que sintomas frequentes de TDAH têm relação com maior ocorrência de erros no desempenho em aritmética dos estudantes avaliados neste estudo. (AU)

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a highly prevalent disorder that often impairs academic performance. The present study aimed to verify the extent of these impairments in arithmetic performance by comparing the performance of students with and without ADHD symptoms. The arithmetic performance of 93 students with ADHD symptoms and 447 students without ADHD was evaluated by the Arithmetical Subtest of the School Performance Test. Participants were attending public elementary schools in the municipality of Porto Alegre (3rd to 9th grades) and their age range was 7 to 16 years old. Those with ADHD symptoms had lower scores and a higher number of procedural errors than those without ADHD. The results suggest that frequent symptoms of ADHD are related to a higher frequency of errors in the arithmetic performance of the students assessed in this study. (AU)

El Trastorno por Déficit de Atención/Hiperactividad (TDAH) es un trastorno que frecuentemente acarrea perjuicios al desempeño académico. El presente estudio tuvo como objetivo verificar la extensión de las deficiencias en el desempeño aritmético, comparando el rendimiento de estudiantes con y sin síntomas de TDAH. El desempeño aritmético de 93 estudiantes con síntomas de TDAH y 447 estudiantes sin TDAH provenientes de escuelas públicas de Porto Alegre (del 3º al 9º año) y con edades entre los 7 y los 16 años, fueron evaluados por el Subtest de Aritmética del Test de Rendimiento Escolar. Los estudiantes con síntomas de TDAH presentaron puntuaciones más bajas y una mayor cantidad de errores de procedimiento que los estudiantes sin el trastorno. Los resultados sugieren que, en los estudiantes evaluados en este estudio, los síntomas frecuentes del TDAH se relacionan con una mayor frecuencia de errores en el desempeño en aritmética. (AU)

The relation between home numeracy practices and a variety of math skills in elementary school children.

A growing number of studies suggest that the frequency of numeracy experiences that parents provide at home may relate to children's mathematical development. However, the relation between home numeracy practices and children's numerical skills is complex and might depend upon both the type and difficulty of activities, as well as the type of math skills. Studies have also argued that this relation may be driven by factors that are not systematically controlled for in the literature, including socio-economic status (SES), parental math skills and children's IQ. Finally, as most prior studies have focused on preschoolers, it remains unclear to what extent there remains a relation between the home numeracy environment and math skills when children are in elementary school. In the present study, we tested an extensive range of math skills in 66 8-year-olds, including non-symbolic quantity processing, symbolic number understanding, transcoding, counting, and mental arithmetic. We also asked parents to complete a questionnaire about their SES, academic expectations, academic attitudes, and the numeracy practices that they provide at home. Finally, we measured their arithmetic fluency as a proxy for parental math skills. Over and above differences in socio-economic status, parental arithmetic fluency, child's IQ, and time spent with the child, we found a positive relation between the frequency of formal numeracy practices that were at or above grade level and two separate measures of mental arithmetic. We further found that the frequency of these advanced formal numeracy practices was related to parents' academic expectations. Therefore, our study shows that home numeracy experiences predict arithmetic skills in elementary school children, but only when those activities are formal and sufficiently challenging for children.