Researchers

Professor Tim Jay (SIoE); Dr Jo Rose and Dr Ben Simmons (University of Bristol)

Project date

2013-2015

A parent-centred approach to children's maths learning

Many parents experience considerable difficulties in their attempts to support their children's mathematics learning. These difficulties are often due to a lack of familiarity with methods that children learn in school for solving problems, to a perceived lack of ability in mathematics, or to broader difficulties with home-school communication. The purpose of the Everyday Maths Project, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, was to bypass these difficulties, by designing a parent-centred approach to parental involvement in children's maths learning.

The Sheffield Festival of Social Science 2015 saw the premiere of short films based on the work of SIoE’s Professor Tim Jay, and Dr Jo Rose and Dr Ben Simmons (both of University of Bristol), during the Everyday Maths Project. The films were produced with funding from the ESRC Impact Acceleration Account. They represent some key findings from our research exploring this alternative approach. At the heart of this design was a set of workshops, which we trialled in four schools in Bristol. During these workshops, parents worked together to 'find the maths' in their everyday family activity, and to explore ways to share this mathematical thinking and activity with their children. Alongside the short films produced for the project, we have also developed a set of resources for schools to use to run these workshops for themselves.

Please visit the Everyday Maths website to find out more.

Funders

Nuffield Foundation
Economic & Social Research Council

Document links

• Everyday Maths policy document can be downloaded here. This provides an overview of the project and the main findings.
• Jay, T., Rose, J., & Simmons, B. (2018). Why Is Parental Involvement in Children’s Mathematics Learning Hard? Parental Perspectives on Their Role Supporting Children’s Learning. Sage Open, 8(2).
• Jay, T., Rose, J., & Simmons, B. (2017). Finding "Mathematics": Parents Questioning School-Centered Approaches to Involvement in Children's Mathematics Learning. School Community Journal, 27(1), 201.
• Jay, T., Rose, J., and Simmons, B. (2013). "Why parents can't get what they (think they) want", Proceedings of the British Society for Research in Learning Mathematics, November 2013.
• Rose, J., Jay, T., and Simmons, B. (2014). "It's helping your child experience the world: How parents can use everyday activities to engage their children in mathematical learning", Proceedings of the British Society for Research in Learning Mathematics, June 2014.