How Parents’ Everyday Math Talk Shapes Their Children’s Early Academic Skills

Parents talk to their kids all day long, but new research suggests that the kind of language used during casual conversations—especially around numbers and quantities—may play a bigger role in early learning than many realize. A recent study dives into how parents naturally talk about math during playtime and how those everyday words relate to preschoolers’ early academic abilities. The results point to some interesting differences in how families communicate and how that communication may support children’s numeracy development in ways beyond counting.

To explore this, researchers observed 120 preschoolers, averaging a little over four years old, and their parents as they engaged in math-related play activities. These weren’t formal lessons; instead, parents and children interacted with a wordless storybook about baking, a sharing game, and a number-matching puzzle—situations that naturally invite talk about numbers, quantities, and comparisons. The team analyzed what kinds of math-related words parents used and then compared those patterns to each child’s early academic skills, including counting, number identification, and simple addition.

One of the biggest findings was that parents used a wide variety of 38 different quantitative terms—words that describe or compare amounts without being exact. Words like some, most, equal, a lot, or how many showed up in conversations as parents guided their kids through the activities. These kinds of terms didn’t label a specific number, but instead described a general sense of quantity or invited children to think about amounts. This kind of talk turned out to be meaningfully different from using number words like one, two, or three.

In fact, the researchers discovered a three-factor structure in parents’ math-related communication:

General talk—everyday vocabulary not focused on math.
Number talk—precise number words used for counting or labeling quantities.
Mathematical language—quantitative or comparative terms used to describe amounts or relationships between quantities.

These categories were clearly distinct in how parents used them, and the distinctions mattered when looking at children’s academic performance.

Interestingly, parents of preschoolers with higher numeracy performance tended to use more general vocabulary, even during math activities. This suggests that these children might be used to richer everyday language overall, which could help them grasp concepts more easily, even when the topic is math. Meanwhile, parents of children with lower numeracy performance used more quantitative terms, possibly to scaffold the tasks in the moment. This might reflect parents adjusting their language intuitively to suit the child’s needs—choosing simpler, more direct quantitative descriptions to help their child participate in the math-focused activity.

Another notable finding: number talk was not significantly linked to numeracy skills in this study. This goes against a common assumption that more counting automatically leads to stronger early math skills. Instead, the connection seems more complex and may involve the quality and variety of language rather than raw exposure to number words.

The study also looked at how these talk patterns relate to other academic skills, such as vocabulary knowledge and understanding of mathematical terms. These relationships weren’t straightforward—parent talk didn’t directly predict broader vocabulary or the child’s understanding of math-specific language. This indicates that while parents may naturally expose children to math-related words, kids don’t necessarily internalize them right away, and other factors may influence how well children learn and use this vocabulary.

Because this was not a longitudinal study, the researchers emphasized that they cannot claim that early exposure to quantitative terms causes better math development over time. They only observed associations at one point. Following families over years would be necessary to see how early math talk impacts later academic growth.

The study still provides meaningful insights. It shows that parents contribute to early math learning in more ways than previously recognized—often through everyday language rather than formal counting. It also highlights the potential for early childhood educators to build on the language children already hear at home. Preschoolers may enter classrooms familiar not just with numbers, but with comparative and descriptive words about quantity that teachers can expand upon.

Below are some broader insights related to early math talk, providing extra context for readers who want to understand how this fits into the larger field of early childhood learning.

The Importance of Math Vocabulary in Early Childhood

Children begin developing mathematical thinking long before they start school. They learn through everyday observations, play, and interactions with caregivers. Exposure to a wide range of math-related language can help children form mental frameworks to understand quantity, size, comparison, and order.

Words like more, less, bigger, smaller, equal, and most help build conceptual understanding even without numbers. These concepts support numeracy by giving kids ways to think about relationships between quantities, which later becomes essential for arithmetic.

How Everyday Experiences Teach Math

Simple everyday tasks can naturally introduce math concepts without structured teaching:

Sharing snacks encourages understanding of fairness, division, and comparison.
Cooking or baking allows children to explore measurement, quantities, and sequencing.
Sorting toys introduces classification and grouping.
Playing with blocks fosters spatial awareness, geometry concepts, and estimating size.

Parents using descriptive, comparative, and quantitative language during these tasks unknowingly contribute to foundational math learning.

Why Number Talk Alone Isn’t Enough

Counting is important, but focusing only on number words can oversimplify what early math learning really involves. Children who hear a rich mix of vocabulary—general language and math-specific terms—tend to develop stronger overall cognitive skills, which support math readiness. Understanding mathematical relationships often comes from hearing and using general vocabulary that helps kids describe the world around them.

This helps explain why general talk was more strongly associated with numeracy in the study.

The Role of Parent Adaptation

Parents often adjust their communication style based on their child’s needs without even realizing it. If a child struggles with math tasks, a parent might naturally use simpler, more direct quantitative terms like more, less, or equal instead of detailed explanations or general vocabulary. This adaptive behavior suggests caregivers are responsive and supportive, even if the child’s numeracy level is still developing.

Implications for Educators

Teachers can build on the natural math language children hear at home by:

Introducing structured activities that make use of quantitative terms.
Reinforcing both number talk and mathematical language in the classroom.
Encouraging descriptive language during group activities and play.
Observing children’s use of quantitative terms to assess their conceptual understanding.

Expanding vocabulary—not just number knowledge—may support stronger long-term math development.

Overall, the study highlights that words matter, and children benefit from hearing a wide range of vocabulary related to math ideas. While counting is useful, exposure to descriptive and comparative language appears to play a significant role in shaping early numeracy skills. Future research will need to explore how early exposure translates into long-term academic outcomes, but this work gives parents, educators, and researchers a clearer picture of the language that supports early math learning.

Research Paper:
The Factor Structure of Parents’ Math‐Related Talk and Its Relation to Children’s Early Academic Skills
https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.14244