Mathematical Development and the Impact of Interaction Quality in Early Child Care and lasting effects (EarlyMath II-plus)

• Applicants: Dr. Dorothea Dornheim; Professorin Dr. Simone Lehrl; Dr. Anja Linberg; Professor Dr. Hans-Günther Roßbach; Professorin Dr. Sabine Weinert
• Subject Area: General and Domain-Specific Teaching and Learning
• Term: since 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 416593881

The foundations for acquiring mathematical skills are laid very early on and can generally be promoted through stimulating learning environments. The extent to which institutional learning environments enriched by interventions in early childhood also influence children's development throughout the entire preschool age has not yet been fully researched. The aim of the proposed project is to investigate the development of early mathematical skills and the changeability of the quality of teacher-child interaction in the under-three age range through the implementation of further training and its effects on children's mathematical skills development until shortly before they start school. The design implements surveys shortly before (MZP1) and after the intervention (MZP2) as well as one year later (MZP3) between the ages of two and four (first funding phase) and a further year later at the age of five (MZP4; funding phase II and II-plus). Due to corona-related recruitment requirements at the beginning of the project, a two-cohort design was implemented, which are surveyed one year apart. The proposed project (EarlyMath II-plus) supplements and expands the second funding phase by also surveying cohort 2 of children at MZP4 at the age of 5 shortly before school enrolment as well as both cohorts of educators in the daycare centers at MZP4. In this way, the sustainability of the intervention and its now proven short-term effects, central mediation variables and the interplay of early childhood mathematical and (mathematical) linguistic development in the context of different support qualities can be analyzed over the entire preschool age until shortly before school entry.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants