Abad, C. , Odean, R. , Costales, A. & Pruden, S. M.
Florida International University
Children's numeracy/spatial skills are predictive of success in careers related to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Previous research suggests that the amount of numeracy and spatial language used in the home predicts pre-kindergartners' numeracy/spatial skills (Gunderson & Levine, 2011; Pruden, Levine & Huttenlocher, 2011). Given the substantial amount of time pre-kindergarten children spend in settings outside the home, the present study seeks to understand the role of educators on pre-kindergarten children's numeracy/spatial skills. We examine the quantity of numeracy/spatial language used by educators and how this language use relates to children's numeracy/spatial skills. We recorded 14 pre-kindergarten educators interacting naturally with children in their classroom. Interactions between educators and children were recorded using a Digital Language Processor (DLP; LENA Foundation). Educators wore the DLP for a total of 4 classroom hours during circle time, free play, and math and science curriculum. Transcriptions of educator talk were coded for use of numeracy/spatial language. Children completed a numeracy/spatial assessment battery. This battery assessed children's ability to: (1) rotate shapes and objects (Children's Mental Transformation Task); (2) reconstruct patterns using colored blocks (WPPSI-III's Block Design); (3) make analogies between two pictures depicting spatial information (Spatial Analogies); (4) comprehend words for a variety of spatial concepts (Boehm-3); (5) understand early numeracy (TEMA-3). Our prediction is that educators who utilize more numeracy and spatial talk when teaching math and science curriculum will see increased growth in children's numeracy and spatial skills. Data collection and coding of educator language is ongoing, however preliminary data shows significant correlations between the assessments within the numeracy and spatial battery. Finding a significant relation between educator language use and pre-k children's numeracy and spatial skills is critical to understanding how we can ensure that pre-k children have those early school readiness skills needed for success in the STEM disciplines.